1 00:00:00,160 --> 00:00:02,080 Speaker 1: If you want new roads, you're going to pay for 2 00:00:02,320 --> 00:00:05,080 Speaker 1: more road tolls are on the way. The governments agreed 3 00:00:05,120 --> 00:00:08,119 Speaker 1: to toll three new roads following public consultation. These are 4 00:00:08,160 --> 00:00:11,160 Speaker 1: Autaki to north of Levin. They are take Timu North 5 00:00:11,200 --> 00:00:14,239 Speaker 1: Link this is between Totong and Amokoa and pen Link 6 00:00:14,320 --> 00:00:17,240 Speaker 1: which is north of Auckland. Transport ministers also set out 7 00:00:17,280 --> 00:00:19,160 Speaker 1: a new plan to make it easier for more and 8 00:00:19,200 --> 00:00:22,880 Speaker 1: more efficient for NZTA to set up toll roads and 9 00:00:22,960 --> 00:00:27,000 Speaker 1: accelerate investments. Sam and Branner's with me good evening, Good evening, 10 00:00:27,160 --> 00:00:30,600 Speaker 1: Minister is this basically, can we assume now that most 11 00:00:30,920 --> 00:00:33,920 Speaker 1: major new roads in New Zealand, including the rons will 12 00:00:33,920 --> 00:00:34,640 Speaker 1: be told. 13 00:00:35,800 --> 00:00:37,960 Speaker 2: Yeah, that's exactly right. We've been very clear when it 14 00:00:38,000 --> 00:00:40,720 Speaker 2: comes to building a major new infrastructure that we expect 15 00:00:40,840 --> 00:00:44,520 Speaker 2: NZTA to be considering considering tolling to help pay for them. 16 00:00:44,840 --> 00:00:47,040 Speaker 2: It means that those those who use those roads and 17 00:00:47,040 --> 00:00:49,760 Speaker 2: who benefit from it contribute towards the construction and the 18 00:00:49,800 --> 00:00:53,360 Speaker 2: maintenance costs of that infrastructure. But importantly it helps to 19 00:00:53,400 --> 00:00:56,240 Speaker 2: bring forward that investment when there's an opportunity to be 20 00:00:56,280 --> 00:00:58,360 Speaker 2: able to fund and finance that infrastructure over a long 21 00:00:58,360 --> 00:01:00,320 Speaker 2: period of time. So it's a user pays a approach 22 00:01:00,400 --> 00:01:03,279 Speaker 2: is what's used around the world. But it also it's 23 00:01:03,560 --> 00:01:05,800 Speaker 2: a tool that can help the government bring forward the 24 00:01:05,920 --> 00:01:07,040 Speaker 2: infrastructure investment. 25 00:01:07,120 --> 00:01:09,840 Speaker 1: I think most people think it's not such a bad idea. 26 00:01:09,959 --> 00:01:11,640 Speaker 1: How long does the toll last. 27 00:01:12,920 --> 00:01:16,080 Speaker 2: Well, it depends on the particular road. So for instance, 28 00:01:16,080 --> 00:01:20,640 Speaker 2: in some toll roads, the toll is for maintenance and 29 00:01:20,640 --> 00:01:23,480 Speaker 2: operations and for the actual cost of operating that road 30 00:01:23,480 --> 00:01:26,080 Speaker 2: over the lifetime of it. Others are tied to a 31 00:01:26,160 --> 00:01:29,040 Speaker 2: loan which might be paid to the NZTA to help 32 00:01:30,360 --> 00:01:32,800 Speaker 2: bring that construction forward, and then it will be over 33 00:01:32,840 --> 00:01:34,520 Speaker 2: the time that it takes to repay that loan. 34 00:01:34,600 --> 00:01:36,240 Speaker 1: So let's talk about this like a'll take you to 35 00:01:36,400 --> 00:01:37,680 Speaker 1: North Levin for example. 36 00:01:38,880 --> 00:01:42,120 Speaker 2: That one's for the maintenance and operations of that particular road. 37 00:01:42,200 --> 00:01:44,320 Speaker 1: So they'll be paying two dollars seventy for the rest 38 00:01:44,319 --> 00:01:48,280 Speaker 1: of their lives. Well, the well for the foreseeable and 39 00:01:48,320 --> 00:01:49,920 Speaker 1: then it's increasing the year with inflation. 40 00:01:50,040 --> 00:01:52,360 Speaker 2: Right, Yeah, Well, and the reality is it costs money 41 00:01:52,360 --> 00:01:55,160 Speaker 2: to maintain and operate roads. We've seen over recent years 42 00:01:55,160 --> 00:01:57,960 Speaker 2: when we don't maintain our roads properly, what happens to 43 00:01:58,000 --> 00:02:01,360 Speaker 2: the quality of that infrastructure and so there's a modern, reliable, 44 00:02:01,520 --> 00:02:05,520 Speaker 2: safe roads. They cost money to maintain and operate, and 45 00:02:05,600 --> 00:02:09,200 Speaker 2: ultimately by having users who benefit from that modern infrastructure, 46 00:02:09,200 --> 00:02:12,520 Speaker 2: the travel time savings, the safety benefits and reliability, that 47 00:02:12,560 --> 00:02:15,399 Speaker 2: means we can protect national land transport funds to look 48 00:02:15,440 --> 00:02:18,280 Speaker 2: after those rural state highways and those local roads as well, 49 00:02:18,280 --> 00:02:20,600 Speaker 2: which people pay their road user charges for. 50 00:02:20,639 --> 00:02:23,080 Speaker 1: Because I think most people when they think of a toll, 51 00:02:23,160 --> 00:02:25,919 Speaker 1: they would think, like we did with the Auckland Harbor Bridge, 52 00:02:25,960 --> 00:02:28,080 Speaker 1: it was told then once it was paid for, the 53 00:02:28,080 --> 00:02:31,160 Speaker 1: toll stopped. Actually, what we're moving to now is a 54 00:02:31,200 --> 00:02:34,200 Speaker 1: model where you are paying a toll for maintenance of 55 00:02:34,280 --> 00:02:36,040 Speaker 1: the road you are driving on, and you will do 56 00:02:36,080 --> 00:02:36,600 Speaker 1: that forever. 57 00:02:37,960 --> 00:02:40,560 Speaker 2: As I said, it depends on the particular. What we're 58 00:02:40,600 --> 00:02:43,040 Speaker 2: providing NZTA here is with a tool they have to 59 00:02:43,040 --> 00:02:44,960 Speaker 2: put those proposals out to the communities. 60 00:02:46,639 --> 00:02:49,639 Speaker 1: The primary purse if you can forward, if you give 61 00:02:49,680 --> 00:02:52,440 Speaker 1: them the lever to pull though, Minister, yes, then they're 62 00:02:52,480 --> 00:02:55,000 Speaker 1: going to pull it, aren't they. Otherwise their land transport 63 00:02:55,080 --> 00:02:57,320 Speaker 1: fund is getting raided for the maintenance costs. 64 00:02:57,480 --> 00:03:00,880 Speaker 2: Well, ultimately, yes, that's correct, but we're making it very clear. 65 00:03:00,919 --> 00:03:03,320 Speaker 2: The intent here is to help bring forward infrastructure. Is 66 00:03:03,360 --> 00:03:07,840 Speaker 2: about that capital cost these roads that we're ultimately at 67 00:03:07,880 --> 00:03:10,320 Speaker 2: the same time for different projects, it will be for 68 00:03:10,360 --> 00:03:13,160 Speaker 2: the capital bring for that capital investment. Others will be 69 00:03:13,280 --> 00:03:16,920 Speaker 2: for capital and maintaining and operating them. But the key 70 00:03:17,000 --> 00:03:20,079 Speaker 2: message is we want to be able to deliver this infrastructure. 71 00:03:20,200 --> 00:03:22,120 Speaker 2: It costs a lot of money to build these roads, 72 00:03:22,520 --> 00:03:24,720 Speaker 2: and we want to help bring forward that infrastructure and 73 00:03:24,720 --> 00:03:26,359 Speaker 2: we want to use a pays approach, just like in 74 00:03:26,400 --> 00:03:28,840 Speaker 2: the rest of the world where we see modern, reliable 75 00:03:28,840 --> 00:03:32,360 Speaker 2: infrastructure paidful by the users of this infrastructure, delivering that 76 00:03:32,440 --> 00:03:33,840 Speaker 2: benefit to the New Zealand economy. 77 00:03:33,880 --> 00:03:38,160 Speaker 1: The monument two Hawks Bay Link, that expressway is getting 78 00:03:38,160 --> 00:03:40,440 Speaker 1: a reprieve. They're not going to be told. Despite being 79 00:03:40,440 --> 00:03:42,840 Speaker 1: told that they might be told and having protests about 80 00:03:42,840 --> 00:03:45,200 Speaker 1: the toll, they're not going to be told. Is that 81 00:03:45,240 --> 00:03:46,080 Speaker 1: political decision. 82 00:03:47,040 --> 00:03:50,120 Speaker 2: Well, ultimately the advice we got from MCTA as they 83 00:03:50,120 --> 00:03:52,440 Speaker 2: wouldn't have been able to toll in until well after 84 00:03:52,440 --> 00:03:54,400 Speaker 2: the road was actually opened, so it didn't make sense. 85 00:03:54,760 --> 00:03:57,720 Speaker 2: We said, that's outside of our government's expectation that all 86 00:03:57,760 --> 00:03:59,240 Speaker 2: new roads should be considered a toll in. 87 00:04:01,360 --> 00:04:04,920 Speaker 1: So because it was going to be delivered before it 88 00:04:05,000 --> 00:04:05,320 Speaker 1: was going. 89 00:04:05,240 --> 00:04:07,640 Speaker 2: To be opened prior to the it was late consultation. 90 00:04:08,400 --> 00:04:10,680 Speaker 2: And also the road would have been opened prior to 91 00:04:10,840 --> 00:04:13,560 Speaker 2: the nzity have being to put tolling infrastructure in place. 92 00:04:13,720 --> 00:04:15,200 Speaker 2: It sounds put a toll on. 93 00:04:15,240 --> 00:04:17,520 Speaker 1: It's that sounds like it was quite a political decision. 94 00:04:17,640 --> 00:04:19,240 Speaker 1: It sounds like one you didn't want, you didn't want 95 00:04:19,240 --> 00:04:20,039 Speaker 1: to fight on your hands. 96 00:04:22,279 --> 00:04:25,159 Speaker 2: Cabinets made the call based on those reasons. We think 97 00:04:25,200 --> 00:04:29,080 Speaker 2: that's a sensible approach to that situation. But going forward, 98 00:04:29,080 --> 00:04:31,120 Speaker 2: we've been very clear this is our government's expectation to 99 00:04:31,120 --> 00:04:34,400 Speaker 2: help deliver new infrastructure, the modern, reliable infrastructure that New 100 00:04:34,480 --> 00:04:37,400 Speaker 2: Zealanders need so we can reduce travel times increased productivity. 101 00:04:37,760 --> 00:04:39,880 Speaker 2: Tolling will be considered for all major new roads. 102 00:04:40,320 --> 00:04:42,200 Speaker 1: That is some in Brown Transportmans to thank you very 103 00:04:42,240 --> 00:04:44,840 Speaker 1: much for coming on the show this afternoon. For more 104 00:04:44,880 --> 00:04:48,200 Speaker 1: from Heather Duplessy, Allen Drive, listen live to news talks. 105 00:04:48,240 --> 00:04:51,400 Speaker 1: It'd be from four pm weekdays, or follow the podcast 106 00:04:51,520 --> 00:04:52,520 Speaker 1: on iHeartRadio.