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Organisations as diverse as the Green Party and Automobile Association are angry the Government has earmarked Auckland regional fuel tax money for a toll-free road to the Whangaparaoa Peninsula.
The Greens say they are considering a legal challenge to an allocation of 1c a litre of fuel tax to pay for most of the $183 million Penlink road.
They say Transport Minister Annette King has flouted a fuel tax law provision requiring eligible projects to be consistent with Auckland's regional land transport strategy.
Co-leader Jeanette Fitzsimons said the provision was added as a condition of the backing Labour needed from her party for the legislation, to prevent ministers approving money for "pet projects not supported by the people who have to pay for them".
"The proposed Penlink road in Rodney does not meet this requirement - this decision is pork-barrelling of the worst kind," she said. "The minister's decision is clearly open to judicial review as it is not consistent with the law."
Ms King said Penlink was consistent with the regional strategy, and Rodney Mayor Penny Webster said it won 86 per cent public support in a survey of 600 residents and businesses.
The minister said the rail electrification project gaining most of a fuel tax rising to 9.5c a litre by 2011 would not extend to Rodney District, and its residents therefore deserved some other return for their money.
AA spokesman Simon Lambourne said there were many other projects of higher regional significance which the Government decided against including as a regional fuel tax beneficiary.
