‘$5 ballpark’ for Auckland motorway congestion charges

Tuesday, 23 June 2026

A tense debate over who will have to pay motorway congestion charges and how much they will cost erupted at Auckland Council’s transport committee meeting on Tuesday.

Council staff were presenting to councillors on a draft submission on the Government-proposed “time of use charges” which would see infringements for non-payment set at $70 and trucks pay fees four times that of cars.

But the conversation quickly escalated beyond the submission.

Albany councillor John Watson noted that in a briefing document an example fee of $5 for motorists had been used, asking if that was the “ballpark figure” being considered.

Strategic Transport Lead Hamish Bunn said “a range” was being considered by the Ministry of Transport but confirmed “$5 was roughly in the ballpark”.

He said the aim was to get people to “change their behaviour and swap to public transport” or pay a bit to “benefit from a de-congested route”.

Staff also suggested asking the Government to allow a local “scheme board” to decide on congestion charge ratios on a case by case basis depending “who we are trying to shift”.

But Watson said he was concerned that some families could be paying $2000 to $5000 a year to commute under the proposed charges - “same as a whole rates payment” - and $70 infringement fines were “punitive”.

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Waitemata councillor Mike Lee said it “really worried” him.

“I don’t think people realise what the degree of public push back will be. People haven’t got a clue what time of use charging is - it’s not like congestion tax which would be clearly understood.”

But Whau councillor Sarah Paterson-Hamlin said the charges would make her “think twice about driving” which would have a “positive downstream impact” on traffic.

The debate then turned to who might be exempt from fines or charges.

The proposed submission included a recommendation to Government to assess the impact that fines might have on Māori and low income households.

Paterson-Hamlin wanted people with disabilities to also be considered, while Waitakere councillor Shane Henderson wanted charities included.

Lee asked if it would mean “well to do middle class Māori” would be exempt, but “Pākehā working class” would not be considered.

Lead Transport Advisor Michael Roth emphasised the suggestion of an impact assessment had come from feedback from Houkura, the Independent Maori Statutory Board, and it had then been expanded to include low income households.

Lee asked if someone was sent a fine, would they be asked to “send through their whakapapa to receive a free pass”?

He questioned whether it should be included “just because Houkura said it - who is Houkura”?

“That’s us,” called Houkura member Tau Henare.

Lee suggested if the issue of who might be exempt wasn’t cleared up it might be raised by Henare’s “former colleague Mr Winston Peters.”

Howick councillor Maurice Williamson said he was against having exemptions.

“What if someone is only part Māori? What about David Seymour, will he only have to pay 1/32 of his bill?” he asked.

Staff attempted to rein in the meeting.

“This isn’t about exemptions. It’s about submitting on regulations,” they said.

Auckland mayor Wayne Brown said he didn’t want to touch the debate “with a barge pole”.

“The Government are going to make the decisions, and if we stick our oar in, it will be our fault, and 50% of people won’t like it.”

Henderson questioned where debate around exemptions had come from, saying he would not want the public to be misled that it was anything other than an impact assessment.

But, Williamson insisted a thousand staff would be required to be the “arbiters” of who gets exemptions.

Henare said he agreed with Williamson, but said he was “against time of use charges, full stop”.

“I can’t see the benefit of poor working class people being faced with another charge, honestly.”

Henare said London had a congestion charge and it was “still a prick of a place to drive in and out of”.

He said it would be “working class people out West and out South” having to commute having to pay for it while “rich people would catch the bus”.

Chairperson Andy Baker closed debate, saying it “had nothing to do with whether we like congestion charging”, it was about “having a say”.

Baker said councillors had “gone down rabbit holes today”.

“We need to pull ourselves out and give submissions to the Government who have asked us to.”

Ultimately three votes were taken.

A majority of councillors endorsed the proposed ratios for charging vehicle classes.

But a vote on supporting a $70 infringement fee “failed on the voices”.

Then a request for an impact assessment on Māori and low income households also failed on a show of hands.