31 May 2019

There is probably a million Aucklanders whose wellbeing hasn’t been improved by today’s increase in excise tax or by yesterday’s wellbeing budget.

They have to sit in traffic congestion, while listening to Parliament increase their petrol tax while no action happens on ‘ready to go’ projects.

For 18 months Government has sat on Mill Road, Penlink, and East West projects and ignored the potential benefits of congestion charges and other remedies offering congestion relief. The planning for light rail has been slow, while the congestion continues to get worse, said Auckland Business Chamber head, Michael Barnett.

The 3c/litre increase in petrol tax approved today will add about $120 a year to the cost of Aucklanders getting to-from work.

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