An Auckland Ratepayers’ Alliance–Curia poll shows 59 percent of respondents want Auckland Transport to be made directly accountable to Auckland’s mayor and councillors. Only 25 percent think it should make its own decisions, and 16 percent were unsure.

Respondents were asked: “Unlike in other parts of New Zealand, Auckland Council does not have direct oversight of Auckland Transport or responsibility for setting the Regional Land Transport Plan that decides on transport infrastructure projects. In Auckland, this is done by the separate Auckland Transport body. Do you think the Auckland Transport should be made directly accountable to the mayor and councillors on Auckland Council or make its own decisions?”

The full polling report can be found here: https://www.ratepayers.nz/at_poll

Auckland Ratepayers’ Alliance Spokesperson, Sam Warren, said:

“The current model has been a disaster. Operating with independence from Auckland Council looks good on paper, but certainly not in practice.

“Auckland Transport has instead become its own bureaucracy captured by ideology and largely detached from accountability to elected officials, and ultimately, Auckland ratepayers.

“The outcome has been a barrage of excessively expensive pet projects that are neither practical, nor wanted, by the majority of Aucklanders simply wanting a reliable transport network without all the spin.

“A rethink into how Auckland Transport works is well overdue. Unlike every other council in New Zealand, Auckland Council does not have direct oversight over its own transport provider, nor in setting the Regional Land Transport Plan that decides on transport infrastructure projects."

The poll was conducted by Curia Market Research Ltd for the Auckland Ratepayers’ Alliance. It is a random poll of 600 adult Aucklanders who are eligible and likely to vote and is weighted to reflect the overall Auckland adult population in terms of gender and age. It was conducted by phone (landlines and mobile) and online between 04 June and 13 June 2024, has a maximum margin of error of +/- 4.0%. The full results are at: https://www.ratepayers.nz/at_poll

NOTES:

The scientific poll was conducted by Curia Market Research and commissioned by the Auckland Ratepayers’ Alliance. As is well known, but for full disclosure, David Farrar co-founded the Taxpayers’ Union, a sister organisation to the Auckland Ratepayers’ Alliance, and previously served on its board. He is also a Director of Curia Market Research Ltd.

This Auckland Ratepayers’ Alliance – Curia issue poll was conducted from Tuesday 04 June to Thursday 13 June 2024. The median response was collected on Sunday 09 June 2024. The sample size was 600 adult Aucklanders who are eligible and likely to vote: 450 by phone and 150 by online panel. The sample selection is from those who are contactable on a landline or mobile phone selected at random from 10,000 Auckland phone numbers plus a random selection from the target population from up to three global online panels (that comply with ESOMAR guidelines for online research).. The results are weighted to reflect the overall voting adult population in terms of gender and age. Based on this sample of 600 respondents, the maximum sampling error (for a result of 50%) is +/- 4.0%, at the 95% confidence level. Results for sub-groups such as age and gender will have a much higher margin of error and not seen as precise.

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