KEY POINTS:
Auckland motorists face new fuel taxes of up to 10c a litre from 2011, to pay for electric trains and other congestion-busting public transport investments.
The Auckland Regional Council yesterday resolved unanimously to apply to the Government for its own 5c tax to be introduced in three stages, between next winter and mid-2011.
It wants the Government to introduce a tax of 1c a litre on June 30, rising to 3c the following winter and to the full 5c of the council's proposal 12 months later.
But the plan - to underwrite a 30-year loan of $607 million to spread the burden between ratepayers and motorists for new trains and other public transport infrastructure - represents only half of a potential regional tax liability of 10c a litre.
New transport legislation allows the Government to match the council's scheme by another 5c, for electrifying Auckland's rail tracks and regional projects including new roads.
The Automobile Association says it will complain to Transport Minister Annette King that the council failed to consult motorists and other Aucklanders in line with legal requirements, drawing an accusation from council chairman Mike Lee that it is trying to sabotage electrification.
Although the council received 118 public submissions backing a 5c tax, and 45 against, AA spokesman Simon Lambourne said that response from a mailout of 558,000 summary documents was "not a communication and consultation success" and it was wrong to conduct the exercise before the enabling legislation was enacted.
But the council yesterday accepted legal advice that it had met consultation demands of the legislation, although an officers' report acknowledged the advice was "not free from doubt" over "a technical requirement to provide information on allocation of regional fuel tax revenues to projects".
Mr Lee said the main point was Aucklanders were asked if they were prepared to pay a fuel tax for rail electrification, and gave majority support.
"This is the only tax that has been consulted on like this," he said after the council meeting.
"People opposed tolls and road charges, but because this is for electrification, there is strong support.
"If the AA didn't even engage in the consultation process, they can't turn around now and bleat."
He told councillors the electrification proposal, which he hopes will be partially completed for the 2011 Rugby World Cup, had won political consensus not achieved around earlier schemes reaching back to the 1940s.
"I believe we are now further up the mountain than anyone has been before - there is still a way to go, but we can see the summit ahead of us."
Councillor Joel Cayford said the council had followed Auckland City's difficult decision to build the Britomart centre, by ensuring there would be trains to use it, and then took a very brave step under his previous transport committee chairmanship in 2005 to opt for a high public transport option for regional transport strategy.
That ultimately gained acceptance from all seven of Auckland's city and district councils.
