Minto for Mayor slams proposals for $12 billion burden on Aucklanders

Today’s announcement of proposals to raise another $400 million per year for 30 years ($12 billion in total) from Aucklanders to pay for huge roading projects is an outrage.

Early reports indicate that Mayor Len Brown’s “consensus building group” will today propose

·         rates increases
·         extra fuel taxes
·         congestion charges
·         motorway charges
·         toll roads
This is typical of the dull 1950s thinking that roads, roads and more roads will stop congestion. (Two thirds of this extra money will be for proposed roading projects)

Nowhere in the world has any city been able to tarseal its way out of gridlock.

Minto for Mayor’s proposal is for an end to gridlocked Auckland roads within 12 months at less than half the cost of Len Brown’s proposals.

We would not need rates increases, extra fuel charges, congestion charges, motorway charges or toll roads.

Minto for Mayor will give Aucklanders an extra hour a day at home with their families through a policy of free and frequent public transport across the city’s urban area.

Every Aucklander would have two great choices – either use free public transport to commute or drive their car on unclogged roads in rush hour. Instead the mayor is proposing two bad choices – expensive public transport on clogged roads or expensive use of private cars.

Len Brown’s will condemn Auckanders to traffic gridlock for the next 30 years while forcing them to pay far more for the privilege of gridlocked traffic.

It’s a dead end proposal that Aucklanders should reject outright.

John Minto
Mana Movement candidate for Auckland Mayor

ENDS

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