KEY POINTS:
Manukau City is alone among Auckland councils in opposing a regional road-fuel tax for public transport, despite misgivings of its mayor.
The city's opposition to a new tax, as an "unacceptable burden" on motorists, has also not stopped it from asking Auckland Regional Council to allocate extra funds for more buses to service growth areas such as Flat Bush, Highbrook and the airport.
Mayor Len Brown trod a diplomatic path when he told the regional councillors yesterday at an annual plan hearing that "we [Manukau] have not as a council decided to support the petrol tax".
He refrained from explaining that he was outnumbered in a 9-7 vote by Manukau against the region's initial plan for a fuel tax of 5c a litre of petrol and diesel to start from July 1.
But he told the regional politicians, who are instead now considering phasing in the tax with a far more modest 1c a litre next winter and 2c in 2010, that he expected continuing debate around his council table in the next few months on how to provide for "significant extensions" to public transport services through its city.
"Informed, sensible and rational decisions will be needed because we need a massive increase in public transport," Mr Brown said.
As well as wanting more bus services for rapidly-growing suburbs, his council was looking forward to a new rail link to its city centre and improvements to the Half Moon Bay ferry terminal.
The regional council has received submissions in support of a fuel tax from Auckland, North Shore and Waitakere Cities, and Papakura and Rodney districts.
Franklin District has expressed "reservations" about the timing and equity of a tax, but its submission to the regional council stops short of outright opposition.
Even the Otara Community Board, representing one of Manukau's most economically-stressed communities, has sent the regional council a submission supporting a fuel tax if that is what it takes to get people out of cars and to encourage walking and cycling.
North Shore Mayor Andrew Williams also yesterday conveyed his council's support of a tax to support a regional loan to accelerate public transport projects.
He said that, compared with frequent fuel price rises imposed by oil companies, even a tax of 5c a litre would be "very reasonable" if invested in public transport infrastructure needed to relieve traffic congestion.
