KEY POINTS:
Here is an earlier selection of your views:
Blue
Us lot below the Bombays are sick of supporting Aucklanders - never go near the place - put a road toll on - user pays.
Swanny
Just another sign of how out of touch this govt is with reality. Our MPs fly everywhere then jump in a taxi or limo paid for by us, they have no idea what the effect of an increase in the price of petrol has on the average working person. Its the typical left wing response of tax it or ban it. More than half of what we pay at the pump for petrol is already tax how much more do they want. Get rid of this Govt they have been there far too long!!
Duncan
No worries as long as they spend it on public transport and cycleways. Simply get a smaller car.
Prashant
No problem with paying the tax but can they guarantee that the eastern corridor with a decent rail infrastructure will be built. Can the people in Howick, Pakuranga, Botany downs, etc get a rail? Will the Remuera lot oblige? No, then get lost and the mayors are not the one paying tax as they get our taxpayer driven cars to drive! Nice ideas guys, what else do you want to tax now from Aucklanders!
Song
Australia is getting more and more attractive place to live in, I will wait till everything sold out then bye2 NZ and their unwisely government who can only push the OCR, tax on petrol, basically burden the working class man like me to pay all the taxes without justice seen in days to days living.
Simon Kane
I think our mayors and government are somewhat cowardly. If they really cared for our future they would have been progressively taxing us out of our profligate one-person-per-car habit years ago. 10 cents... pah! Rail expansion and electrification should have been a priority last decade, not in five years time when fuel is $5/litre or more likely not available for any non-critical use. The recent treasury report recommendation to do what ever it takes to get us Aucklanders out of our cars comes too late. The vast majority of Kiwis appear to be ignorant of the broader situation and will go down in frustrated, angry, hungry, bewilderment. Mores the pity, the lynch mobs will not know their true quarry.
Vijay
This is a dangerous trend: You want a good Rugby stadium, pay for it! You want better roads, pay petrol tax!! You want anything that Auckland doesn't have today pay through your nose! So what happens to all the funds collected by the local councils and the Govt.in the form of Income tax,GST,petrol levies, local council rates, ARC rates etc etc.? Is it enough only to provide salaries to MPS, Councillors & staff & some basic services?!
Luke
Raise GST by 5c, lower income tax by 5 cents, put extra tax on alcohol, tobacco and foods with high fat content (less of our tax will be used by health services). Put a 5 year limit on the Doll (not sickness or solo parent stuff) If you cant find a job after 5 years you should go back and retrain, stop paying out for people who don't want to work. There is work out there go get a job at Maccas, start low and work your way up like everybody else did. Start taxing people with over 2 houses so there is enough housing available. Stop foreigners from purchasing property unless they become a citizen. Put a 3-year waiting period before you can become a citizen. Make public transport cheaper then driving our cars and it will be used more. The government needs to stop making it hard for the bulk of people so joe bloggs can kill themselves with luxuries while sitting at home living off our already high tax rates.
Kent
Of course a 10c/litre fuel tax makes sense. We only have an 11 billion dollar surplus. If we are going to give that away with election bribes of tax cuts, then the government has to get it back some other way. How else do you all expect the government to pay for its bribes? And don't worry, you can bet your tax bribe refund that they will also introduce toll roads. Where there's an easy buck to be made, there's the government.
Christina
Put in a train that runs from Farm Cove to Ellerslie and I will happily use it. Until then I will be using my car.
Steph
All I can say is "bring on the tax" - if it means we will finally be rid of this pathetic bunch of socialists who call themselves the Government. I am flabbergasted at this pathetic idea of raising "more money" for "roading." We're already paying through the nose for petrol and the taxes implemented are excessive, but what are they being spent on? Does Helen even know how much it costs to fill an average family car these days? When was the last time she and her cronies forked out bus fare or tried to find a spot in the (always full) park and rides? I am so sick of Cullen et al, hopefully this is the last nail in the coffin of the Labour govt.
Niki
So what happened to the money they're getting out of the tax they put on petrol a few years back? I haven't heard that mentioned by the council yet or have they just decided to forget about it.
Rebecca
I don't think it is fair to tax 'Aucklanders' a fuel tax. The charges should be made to the people that use the roads and railways, irrelevant of where they buy the petrol. ie. In London they have a city tax and its only charged if you drive your car in a particular CBD area. Otherwise have road tolls in particular areas and roads. Both of these systems can use technology to read the car registration and charge directly.
Deb
Maybe we could have used the $34 million the government gave to the yachting team to pay for upgrades etc. Five plus veges and fruit a day? Who can afford that as it is ...now lets just add 10C a litre to the petrol that we need to drive to go the supermarket where we cant afford the food. Logical? Not.
Arron
What a wonderful idea! And now that we are paying tax directly for infrastructure we should expect some relief on general income tax. I suppose I am dreaming. How about the government diverting the excess fuel tax that Aucklanders already pay into roads and public transport instead of using it to pay for Labour's social engineering programmes?
Matt
From East Coast Bays to Takapuna, including parking and petrol, its cheaper then bussing to work. This is ridiculous, we dont even have a train on the North Shore. As Mark said, give me a train, and i'll give you my tax. However, its more, give me a reliable train that is on time, and i'll give you my tax.
Tom
Whose crazy idea was this? When I deliberately moved close to where I work I didn't realise that I would have to subsidise all those other travellers for roads I don't even use. A toll would be much more fair.Talking about fairness; why should anyone on the North Shore have to pay for trains? Obviously someone in the government didn't realise that there is no train service on the North Shore! If this proposal is genuine then the current government has just lost the next election. How could they even consider more tax after taking away a percentage of my income 7 years ago?
Wayan
Legalise Marajuana and spend the money the country saves on upgrading all of Aucklands Transport issues.
Brad Edley
No, I definitely do not agree. Simple solution, we have roughly a third of the population in Auckland, just dedicate the amount of taxes Aucklanders pay already on their fuel and use this to fund our roads and public transport initiatives. In addition, the cost of public transport at the moment is horrific, even with a 10c hike it will still be cheaper for me to travel in my car from the shore to Newmarket than via two buses.
Mark
You give me a train to ride from Browns Bay and I'll happily give you your Tax... until then get lost!
Raff Dellavaris
Transportation is the backbone of any economy, so I don't think 500 million is enough to develop Auckland's railway services properly.
However, I am very grateful for any efforts toward electrification, and the fact that on the whole, fuel tax money is being used for something I want.I really feel that the govt should raise funds up to 5 billion, to make a world class transport system in every main city of new-zealand, thus enticing movement away from Auckland, and preparing the way for more smooth immigration.In the meantime, I am going to buy a bicycle to cut out unnecessary trips in the car.
Aidan Sheehan
It's a great idea. How else to begin to wean kiwis off a car-mentality? As petrol gets steadily more expensive as it runs out globally, there will need to be an alternative - electric cars, hydrogen, whatever. Using a tax to subsidize public transport, and help pay for research grants for alternative transport/energy solutions to this problem would be a great step in the right direction. The price of petol will rise, slowly and continuously, but if we raise it a bit more now, then we may find ourselves in a better position when supplies dwindle.
Alan
A typical lame duck approach by this Govt to fixing something tht should have been addressed years ago. Successive Govt's and Councils including the ARC have failed to a) plan, and b) fund properly. No they would rather spend rates and tax dollars on funding white elepjhants like the Barry Curtis Park in Manukau - money that would have been better spent on transportation and infrastructure.No doubt the extra levy will also attract GST so again it's an example of another 'stealth tax'- clearly copied from their dishonest Labour mates in the UK.
Garth
A good idea if only the users in the area getting the upgrade and visitors to the area (ie only the petrol sold in that area) is subject of the price increase/tax. Auckland upgrades, Wellington upgrades etc.
Thilal
No, I am not happy! I am already sick of paying OPEC taxes plus NZ Govt taxes. Only fair solution is tolls - nothing else. Let the user pay! I don't see any fairness somebody making a hole in my pocket when the chance of my using train service in Auckland is as further away as going to Pluto.
Brian
I don't believe that the money will be spent on the roads. We've heard this line before. A 10% tax will go into the general fund and be spent on non Auckland activities.
Sam Roberts
Will there be an exemption for people who own boats? We put 275L of 91 petrol into our boat at one time. This tax does not seem fair for boat owners or anyone else that uses petrol off the road.
Adam
I will vote against those people that bring in a petrol tax. I think it was about a year ago your paper outlined how the amount of tax we pay in Auckland is disproportionate to the amount of money that is actually spent here. What is the existing tax being spent on and oh by the way, don't we still have Eden park to pay for out of the rates. No wonder people can't afford to buy houses here. Guess I'll just have to start going without my coffee, my car, my overseas trip....
Simon Davies
When will the endless taxation stop! There is already a huge tax on petrol and has been for years that is supposedly to be spent on the roads and transport.If you took the money currently collected from fuel tax in the Auckland region and applied it directly to the Auckland issues you would soon have no issues at all. Currently the tax on petrol is around half the cost we pay at the pump,to add a further 10 cents is just ridiculous. If the government werent so busy wasting the tax currently collected on funding rich mans yachting events,free junkets around the world for politicians and all their retirement packages along with all the other mass wastage that is currently being witnessed in this country then the issues we currently have would never have occurred in the first place.Sorry Helen your time is up.Please leave us in peace.And why should I have to pay an extra ten cents a litre to fill my lawn mower?Or my dinghy motor,.You dont see either of them tearing around the roads like noisy little boy racers!
Aucklander
Its very unfortunate that those people in higher offices are think commuting by car is a luxury while its not. I will be very much inclined to use public transport(if its there) I travel from Lynnfield to Albany and have no option but to use my car, Increasing petrol costs have already put so much burden on my budget and its going up steadily. Why don't they ask money from savings account of government who have the luxury of positive cash balances while people struggle.
Man
I'm supporting "user pay" policy, so road toll is more fair than petrol tax. The action need to be taken the sooner the better.
Fraser
Ok to the tax provided there is a much tougher level of accountability. The tax and the projects must be audited and accounts published showing every cent went to Auckland's rail and road. If this is not the case the politicians should be charged with fraud like anyone else that misuses funds.
PCb
Gee thanks - Before I pay for this donkey I would like to know exactly what I am getting ripped off for and will the Minister for Auckland affairs use public transport?
Kris
So we will now have a tax on top of a tax on top of another tax. We have a huge surplus partly built up from petrol taxes and yet the government still wants to charge us more. At least now we know why housing will be unaffordable to people in Auckland in the future. All I can say is "bye bye Dick" and "Bye bye Labour" at the next round of elections.
E Carter
No - enough taxes already! I live in Mangere Bridge. To catch a train means catching the very infrequent bus to Otahuhu. But I work in Albany so I'd have to catch another bus after that and then walk the difference. Probably take in the order of 2 hours each way if it was even possible, and likely cost something like $30 a day. Roll in the need for after school care etc - it'd probably be cheaper for me to drive even if there WAS a new tax imposed. If the powers that be want to make public transport more attractive to the hoi polloi - make it free, or damned near free. And on time and going somewhere you need to go. (I can't even get a bus direct to Manukau City centre from my place yet I live in Manukau City! Getting to Auckland City isn't a problem of course...)
Maree
This is typical of the government - they take, take, take and we get nothing back! The average kiwi couple are getting hit from every angle these days. Auckland doesn't have a quality rail system as it stands now, making it electrical is only going to worsen the current problems that they can't seem to fix. The trains aren't even on time and the buses are disgusting so it really only does leave our own vehicles & we'll be getting hit in the pocket there too!!
Don
No more taxes! If the taxes already being collected were spent on what we were told they would be spent on, there would be no need for more taxes?
Angry Aucklander
How much have the government already collected from our current petrol tax? How much of extra GST has been collected due to higher cost at the pump? And you're telling me the government has no money to spend on roading and yet we have a huge budget to spend somewhere else? If tax has to implied by regional, then it is suggesting a 'state' operation. Therefore social benefits should be state dependent too - it cost more to live in AKL than lets say Tauranga - so we should adjust our benefits in Auckland too.It is such a stupid idea to have "United States of New Zealand" - take away the over-complicated infrastructure and spend the money wisely. You'd never spend enough on health.
Bevin Rijkaart
Everytime local or National government have a problem they raise or invent new taxes but don't fix the problems. They need to be more creative, cut their own spending and not try and fix everything at once. Petrol tax will not fix the problem, it will just create more problems by making transport a luxury for the rich only.
Graeme White
My Partner and myself rely on our cars to get us into the CBD each day. This is for the simple reason that it is cheaper and much more reliable than using public transport. From our home in Mt Wellington a one way bus trip to the city costs. $4.30 (Return for 2 people comes to $17.20 a day). Early bird parking in the city costs us $10.00 a day. If we had to factor into our budget bus fares, we would not be able to afford the mortgage for the house we have just managed to purchase. I drive a small 1.3 litre economical car. A raise in petrol costs would have to be drastic to stop us using the car in the mornings.
J Skinner
Why should I pay for additional road capacity when I rarely travel at peak hours? I favour user pays. Like many other countries- fit transponders to cars, so one pays for peak hour travel or travelling into central city. Differential rates for peak hour, 'shoulder' or off peak times. If it is a 'blanket' fuel tax people will not alter their driving patterns.
Goby
Tolls Tolls Tolls, 10cents per litre, stupid stupid stupid.
Raj Subramanian
Don't leave any leverage of yet another tax with the politicians. Toll Roads would be better if it is by private investments. There should be a clause in the private road contracts about toll price maximums. The tolling should be for a fixed period of 20 to 30 years and after that it should revert to public ownership. Government should sign with a binding contract, not to charge tolls after that period.
Grant Cameron
It is the most ridiculous tax ever thought of. With people out there struggling to cope with every day living with cost increases in food/rates or rents/insurances/petrol (even without a further tax) and house prices this government seems to have lost contact with every day New Zealanders' struggle-not just in Auckland either. This Goverenment is sitting on some of the greatest budget surplus ever yet they refuse to offer tax cuts to the general population and then come up with this idea. It is my feeling that this government needs to be changed for the betterment of New Zealand's future and sooner the better.
Greg
We already have an Auckland regional tax on petrol.. its been used to pay for all the lovely roads in Timaru and Nightcaps. The big bucks spent on Spaghetti junctions was a waste - its still one small exit to and from the NorthWestern but at least the non-existent former queues to the port have been relieved with two lanes. Its dodgy stunts like that that lead me to think that its all a plan to "screw those rich jafas" for more money for someone else's bottom line. TollL etc.
Ollie
Bottom line for me is this: Petrol already costs too much and I have no option but to use my car. 10c more a litre will drive me into poverty. No tax, please!
A. Hooper
I am in support of a regional tax if it will fund electrification and expansion of Auckland's railway network and public transport in general. It would of course be difficult for some motorists (who I might add have it very easy compared to people in most other countries). Perhaps some might then be inclined to walk or cycle for the fully 1/3rd of car journeys that, according to the LTSA, are less than 2 km. Under capitalism when you have a scarce resource that is being consumed too rapidly, like Auckland's roads (as evidenced by the daily traffic jams and gridlock), the answer is to increase the cost to manage demand. It's simple economics.
Richard Z
There is already ample special tax on petrol, which we were told by politicians in the past would be used for infrastructure purposes. In addition to this, the government has been raking in much more GST than expected due to the rise in fuel prices across the board. The question needs to be asked (and answered, Dr Cullen) as to what the money was actually used for. When the Labour government shows that it can spend responsibly and can account for that spending to the people who provided the money, then they can come back and ask for more money.
Jacky
The politicians are getting enough cream off the top of petrol already. As it is they are not paying to fill their car up, I am as is every other taxpayer. I wonder how much new black top could have been laid if Helen Clark had not gone sailing in Valencia, or Winston Peters had not attended Dawn services in Galipolli. I am sure some very deserving WW2 diggers would love to attend and honour their fallen comrades, but because they are honest hard working people who have paid their taxes all their working lives it is well beyond reach to them.
Barbara
Auckland should impose tolls on all roads like most overseas countries and then user pays. Buses should be smaller (13 seaters) for off peak times and meet at all train stations. Country towns have no rail systems or bus services so why should we pay?
Tracey
I live out East - Beachlands to be exact and we do not have trains or a decent bus service to serve us, therefore I have no option but to drive - why should I be penalised and have to pay for things that will never be of any benefit to me? I am a single parent working full time - give us a break.
Jonathan
I can't believe what this government is trying to do, raise more money for something that we already pay for. Adding any more money onto petrol would affect people's disposable income and we already know that people are stretched. This government belongs in Disneyland as they enjoy playing Mickey Mouse politics. Have these Mayors asked the people they represent what they think, probably not, and to them it doesn't sound such a bad idea because they get driven around in company cars and don't pay for petrol. Mind you if they don't do this, then maybe my rates will go up and I'll sink more money into something that I will never see. Improve the transport systems first then it will be used more and you can get your money that way.
Matt Elvin
I think the tax is a good way to gather funds for the much overdue and neccesary infrastructure spending. However, 10c a litre is too high.
The tax should also be for a limited period and should be unwound when that period expires. We don't want to agree to a price increase for projects that remains in place forever and becomes the norm. It should be treated very much as a special short-term funding measure. The limited period will also make local government more monetarily responsible (as scarcity always does) and make them use the money wisely.
Jo J
Great! Just what I need another increase to try to budget for. Correct me if I am wrong but isn't so much of the registration fee supposed to be going to roading repairs etc and where do the taxes generated from petrol go now? If only my wages would rise as fast as rising costs of living! I can hardly make ends meet as it is! Seems like I'm damned if I do and damned if I don't. I have to travel for half an hour from where I live to where I work. No buses to get me there on time and children at home who if they need me need me urgently can't wait an hour for a bus! Once again my food budget is going to take a dip! Supposedly good quality food, yeah right at this rate we won't be able to afford the fruit and veg budget. Where will it all end?
R. K. Hawkins
Once again the Michael Cullen, the Labour party and our tired old mayors resort to the only options they can think of - Raising taxes! What about a more efficient and significantly leaner bureaucracies in central and local government with the money saved going into the roads? Now there's an idea! The citizens of Auckland and indeed New Zealand have already paid for these "new roading projects" (many times over)and the government is sitting on a huge surplus, which will only get bigger! With central government not taking responsibility for the roads as they should, and a group of mayors dumb enough to go along with this deception and accepting financial responsibility for the roads (which should be central governments responsibility alone) are we now doomed to another series of endless rates and tax increases? I feel these additional, mindless taxes will be the final nail in the coffin for both the Labour party and the local Mayors, councillors. There is not a bottomless pit of money from taxpayers and ratepayers and it is about time the politicians realised that we are getting "as mad as hell". I can see a whole new series of new Tui's billboards coming! "Lets Re-elect Labour and Old Mother Hubbard - Yeah Right!"
Niels
I for one have had an absolute gutsful of councillors and politicians who live in luxurious surroundings at tax and ratepayers expense, loading yet another tax upon us. It's ok for them who use our supplied cars and expense accounts. We used to be able to raise a family on a one income until the socialist government built such a huge beaurocratic empire to ensure it had the votes to stay in power. I was a Councillor here in Auckland in the 70/80's and as it was a community service, we had a remuneration of $6.00 per meeting and an annual cap of $1000.00 for the year. Reach that and all meetings were cost free to the taxpayers ! Now we have career politicians and a miserable future. Also, what a pathetic mob the Greens are. They want to take the proposed fuel(road) tax and not use it for roads ! Hello. The government already does that with the existing road tax. The Greens want to force their narrow views of parenting onto the opposed majority and now they want to make motorists pay themselves out of their cars and onto public transport. Hurry up next year when you will discover that the mice have turned!
Paul
Petrol is already taking a huge chunk of our monthly outgoings and this is going to make things extremely hard for a lot of people. Being a on rural property we don't have much choice but to pay up as there are not so many buses for us , the nearest bus stop is a 2 km walk and for some it is much further than this. (there are no park and ride facilities out here!) Most of our rates go on roading but yet we see little of that either, they just patch up the holes with a bit more tarmac that last about a week. Rant over - I guess like many I am not happy!
Peter L
Gee thanks Mike Lee, you wouldn't back the water front stadium, nor would you put any money into Eden park stating that you wanted to put all your resources into electrifying the very limited rail system that only reaches about 20 per cent of the population! Now we have to pay for something that we will never use!! Great, guess what ARC and ACC the lot of you deserve to be sacked. Bring back John Banks, a man with the vision and the balls to carry it out! As for the Greens co-leader, what the hell does she have to do with Aucklands roading problem? If she had her way we would all be going to work on our push bikes! Lets get real people, Auckland needs a decent road system, forget about rail, its never going to work.
Richard
Although a regional petrol tax may be a good idea for revenue generation to pay for infrastructure etc, a better approach is the use of automatic electronic tolling as these are a better method of altering driver behaviour, producing revenue for infrastructure and protecting the environment as well as acting an incentive for public transport use and this is how they are used in many forward thinking overseas cities. Essentially, electronic tolls charge a commuter for what type of vehicle they travel in and what time of teh day they travel. For example, commuting in a gas guzzling/polluting vehicle during peak traffic times would result in the maximum charge whereas travelling in a vehicle that creates very little emissions/environmental effect and driven during off peak times results in very little or no charge to the commuter. Sadly, however, tolling in this country has only ever been implemented on a stop and pay scenario for revenue generation only which completely ignores the significant advantages of the modern approach.