Auckland Council’s Budget Committee has agreed to introduce an interim transport levy so that work can begin on fixing Auckland’s transport problems.
The committee agreed 15 votes to 7 to the interim levy of $99 ($114 including GST) a year for non-business ratepayers and $159 ($183 including GST) for business ratepayers for the first three years of the Long-term Plan (LTP) 2015-2025, the council’s next 10-year budget.
The interim levy is in response to the majority of Aucklanders opting to pay more for the Auckland Transport Network Plan during public consultation and in an independent survey earlier this year.
“We have responded to the clear message from Aucklanders – start fixing our transport problems – and that is exactly what we can now get on and do,” says Mayor Len Brown.
To fill the $12 billion funding gap for the full Auckland Plan network, Auckland also opted for a motorway user charge.
Given that a user charge would require legislation and take a number of years working with government to put in place, the three-year interim levy allows for immediate new investments of $500 million in transport.
These new investments will include:
• increases in walking and cycling funding across Auckland of $124 million
• $43 million for North-western busway and an additional 45km of bus lanes
• park and ride extensions at Silverdale, Pukekohe and Papakura
• delivering arterial and local road networks
• public transport safety improvements for rail crossings.
An interim levy was first signalled in the draft LTP published in December 2014.