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IAB: Two pathways for transport in Auckland

IAB: Two pathways for transport in Auckland

A group of key transport stakeholders, collectively the Independent Advisory Body (IAB), today present its findings on how Auckland can fill its $12 billion transport funding gap over the next 30 years.

Commissioned by Auckland Council, the group was asked to investigate two possible pathways for raising $300 million per year ($12 billion over 30 years) to pay for the improvements needed to help fix Auckland’s transport system.

“Aucklanders have told us right throughout this two-year process that something has to be done about our transport system and just to get on with fixing it,” says IAB Chairman Stewart Milne.

“Our announcement today presents two options for council to present to Aucklanders for how they could raise the funds needed to deliver on the promise of the fully-integrated Auckland Plan Transport Network.”

The two funding pathways are:

Rates and Fuel Tax – this pathway uses all existing funding tools and would require average annual rates increases of around one per cent (in addition to increases signalled by the council) and annual fuel tax increases of 1.2 cents per litre (in addition to increases signalled by the government) every year or;
Motorway User Charge – a charge on motorists each time they use the motorway network. If Aucklanders opt for this pathway they would pay an average charge of $2 when they enter Auckland’s motorway system, however this may vary by time of day or day of the week and be free at nights. This pathway has the additional benefit of influencing travel behaviour.

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The IAB’s report, Funding Auckland’s Transport Future, compares the two alternative funding pathways and associated transport programme outcomes with the basic level of transport investment currently available to the council.

Detailed consideration of the economic, social and affordability impacts associated with each funding pathway was a critical element of the IAB’s decision-making and is explored in detail throughout the report and supporting documents.

“The primary purpose of our work was to identify two schemes that can raise sufficient revenue. We have done this. We were not asked to come up with a scheme that influences congestion, however a scheme that achieves both clearly has merit.”

If accepted by Auckland Council, the findings of the IAB report and the accompanying transport programme report will feed into the council’s draft Long-term Plan (LTP) 2015-2025, which goes out for public consultation at the end of January 2015.

The IAB comprises the following members:
Stewart Milne, IAB Chairman
Andy Smith, Walk Auckland
Cameron Pitches, Campaign for Better Transport
David Aitken, National Road Carriers
Donna Wynd, Child Poverty Action Group
Gary Taylor, Environmental Defence Society
Kim Campbell, Auckland Business Forum
Paul Shortland, Cycle Action Auckland
Robert Reid, New Zealand Council of Trade Unions
Shaun Awatere, Landcare Research
Simon Lambourne, Auckland Airport
Stephen Selwood, New Zealand Council for Infrastructure Development

ENDS

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