David Farrar: Congestion charging law is coming

Simeon Brown announced:

The Government will introduce legislation this year to enable time of use schemes to be developed to reduce travel times on our busiest roads and boost economic growth, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.

Dr Matthew Birchall: Why we need a User-Pays model to fund transport infrastructure

How New Zealand funds and finances infrastructure is a billion-dollar question. In Budget 2024, the Government forecasts that more than $68 billion will be spent on infrastructure over the next five years – a significant capital investment in roads, rail and other projects. Given the sums involved, it matters how this money is spent.

Unfortunately, the recent past paints a grim picture of New Zealand’s ability to invest wisely in infrastructure. The New Zealand Infrastructure Commission notes that despite spending around 5.5 percent of GDP on public infrastructure—higher than Australia and the OECD median—New Zealand ranks near the bottom 10 percent of high-income countries for infrastructure efficiency.

Dr Matthew Birchall: Is congestion charging the answer to Auckland's traffic woes?

Good ideas often take time to gain traction. Congestion charging is no exception.

A vast body of academic research and international experience backs congestion charging. It works by charging people who use certain roads during busy times. This encourages people to travel during quieter times or use other modes of transport.