Drivers pay twice

Waimarino Bulletin, Volume 5, Issue 5, 30 June 1987, Page 1

Drivers pay twice

Ratepayers are being hit twice for roading costs because the Government is siphoning off essential roading funds into the Consolidated Fund, a lobby group says. Ratepayers are paying for roads through their rates, petrol taxes and increased freight costs. Ratepayers' funds are now paying for 35% of total roading costs, the group says. The group, Roading Campaign, supported by more than 200 local authorities from throughout New Zealand, aims to reduce the amount ratepayers are now being forced to pay. The 1953 Roading Investigating Committee which established the liability for roading finance for the National Roads Board recommended ratepayers should pay 25%, road users 62.5% and central government 12.5%. A

1973 Roading Conference supported this ratio. Currently, less than half of the petrol tax motorists pay goes towards improving roads. "The larger half is gobbled up by the bottomless Consolidated Fund," said Mr D M (Doug) McCartie, chairman of Roading Campaign, who is also chairman of Franklin County Council. Mr McCartie said cont'd on p. 7

Drivers pay twice cont'd from p. 1

it was a prime example of "users being ripped off". "The Government has put the user-pays system in place, but half of the money the user is paying for roading is being taken by the Government for other purposes," he said. "This means New Zealanders are not getting the good standard of roading they are entitled to and are paying for. "We are spending less on new roads than any other country in the world. "Ratepayers are also being forced to pay higher freight charges because road user charges have increased dramatically over the last few years." Furthermore, ratepayers were likely to be hit even more because essential road works which are now being neglected will mean higher costs in future, he said. "The old proverb 'a stitch in time saves nine' could not be truer in this instance. "People must realise that because of this situation the burden is falling on ratepayers to meet the costs which Government should rightfully meet," said Mr McCartie.