Auckland mayoral candidate Viv Beck today confirmed she will seek to remove the Auckland Regional Fuel Tax within twelve months of becoming Mayor.

In a speech today outlining her campaign priorities, Ms Beck highlighted transport and congestion, transparency and accountability on rates, and crime and safety as three major challenges Aucklanders are facing.

“Aucklanders deserve to get around easily, to be housed, to feel safe and to know they are helping to create a great city for their kids. This means the things that need fixing must be fixed. Imagine an Auckland which is strong, resilient, the best place to live in New Zealand if not the world. We can make it a reality.

“This is not a job for the faint-hearted but it is a job for someone passionate about the potential of Auckland, with a track record of getting things done and a passion for change.”

Ms Beck also said that the 11.5 cent per litre regional fuel tax Aucklanders pay is “hurting Aucklanders at a time when families across the city are already feeling the pinch.”

“Aucklanders resoundingly want this harsh tax scrapped. I want this tax gone within my first 12 months and the funding gap filled through a better agreement with Wellington and much more realistic plans about our spending.

“I believe the time has come to look very seriously at a congestion charging scheme for Auckland, providing equity issues can be addressed. As well as shifting the dial on Auckland’s congestion and transport emissions, this could help fund the infrastructure we desperately need.

“I’m standing for Mayor because Auckland needs someone with local and central government experience, business understanding, and someone who can work constructively with people to get the best results for Aucklanders.”

© Scoop Media