Opinion: Fuel tax unpleasant, but worth it

No one wants to pay more for petrol. But is it worth it if our traffic issues are addressed? Photo / File

There are two things that everyone in this city has an opinion on: Traffic and rates.

We have too much traffic, and we pay too much in rates.

I guess we all care about these issues because they affect all of us. We all pay rates, whether we rent or own a home, and we are all affected by traffic no matter how we get around.

We all want less of both. We want free-flowing roads, and we want more of our paychecks to ourselves.

But the reality is, something has to give.

If we want new roads or fixes to the roads we already have, we need a way to pay for them.

Our council is already in a lot of debt, so if we want to fix the traffic problems, we need to be willing to sacrifice something else.

The idea of a regional fuel tax in the Bay of Plenty has been met with outrage.

Tauranga mayor Greg Brownless told the Bay of Plenty Times he had "reservations" about the tax but wanted the option available as soon as possible in case the city needed it.

Revenue from a fuel tax would help the city pay for some $115 million in transport projects over the next decade that may not be eligible for funding through the National Land Transport Fund.

That $115 million could go a long way to addressing some of Tauranga's gridlock - I would love to see that kind of money used towards four-laning Turret Rd and 15th Ave.

Having to pay more money for petrol isn't something that any of us would enjoy, and it would be a hard ask for those on low incomes.

But given the option of spending my life in traffic jams or paying a bit more for gas and improving our roads, I know what I'd choose.