Two civilians have died in the Los Angeles wildfires and Parliament is set to discuss an extended deadline for the Treaty Principles Bill submissions. Video / NZ Herald
Opinion by Nick Leggett
Nick Leggett is Chief Executive of Infrastructure New Zealand, and was Porirua Mayor from 2010 to 2016.
KEY FACTS:
The Government has announced three new toll roads.
In many other developed countries, tolling and other forms of road pricing such as congestion charging are widely accepted.
The Government’s announcement prior to Christmas to toll three new roads; Ōtaki to north of Levin, Takitimu North Link and Penlink marks a pivotal and hopefully precedent setting moment in New Zealand’s transport future.
The tolls are not just necessary for the upkeep of these routes but canact as a stepping stone towards a broader, more sustainable approach to the funding of new highways nationwide.
Proposals for tolling and other forms of road pricing inevitably result in a fair amount of pushback.
Apart from a few notable examples, including the historical toll on the Auckland Harbour Bridge that was done away with 40 years ago, New Zealanders have little domestic experience of road pricing (whether that be tolling or congestion charging).
Cars using the Tauranga Eastern Link (TEL) for first time in 2015. Photo / NZME
For far too long we have been shielded from the true and rising costs of our transport infrastructure. The simple fact is that current funding mechanisms are inadequate to keep up with the maintenance and improvement requirements of the state highway network, let alone the expansion of the network as our population grows and demand increases.
In many other developed countries, tolling and other forms of road pricing such as congestion charging are widely accepted as fair mechanisms critical to the preservation of well-functioning transport systems.
New Zealanders need a shift in mindset when it comes to the benefits of such user-pays infrastructure.
New tolled roads provide safer, faster and more reliable travel than existing routes and result in better links between communities and a boost in regional economic opportunities. For those who do not wish to pay a toll, alternative routes will remain.
Having worked in the commercial road transport sector, I understand that tolls represent another cost. However, the benefits of new roads, including the fuel and time savings, outweigh the additional charge to operators.
Tolling Ōtaki to north of Levin, Takitimu North Link and Penlink should not be treated in isolation, the Government’s proposals are part of a larger conversation about how we fund and manage our roading and transport infrastructure more generally.
When it comes to the stewardship of our roads, building the road is only the beginning. Good infrastructure requires ongoing investment in its upkeep.
Tolls won’t cover the entire cost of maintenance and renewal, but they can make an important contribution to ensure new roads remain safe, reliable and resilient into the future.
Historically, we have relied on various forms of indirect charging to fill up the National Land Transport Fund including road-user charges, fuel excise and vehicle registration fees. However, these are no longer enough, and where the money goes and why is pretty opaque to most people.
Tolling aligns with the principle of direct user-pays that includes the ability for users to easily monitor and manage that user-provider relationship themselves.
Taking a fee from those who use the road to spend on the road makes investment in upkeep more transparent and allows users to better hold roading authorities to account.
The Government’s policy statement on land transport explicitly sets out a broader national strategy to embrace road pricing.
This, along with the growing political support for tolling is encouraging, although I am under no illusions that maintaining bipartisanship in the face of elections and other short-term political imperatives remains a big challenge.
Political parties are, of course, entitled to differing views on transport policy.
However, they are all aware change is required to ensure funding is adequate to ensure our roads are not just built but also maintained to the highest possible standards.
Tolling is not the whole answer, but it is a critical part of that equation.
