Most of Auckland's regional fuel tax funds have not been spent, the National Party says, but Auckland's mayor is rubbishing the claim.
Photo: RNZ / Dan Cook
National's Transport spokesperson Simeon Brown said $300m of the $542m in regional fuel tax taken so far has not been used.
"So we're paying through the nose, at a time where we're facing a cost of living crisis, but not getting the delivery this government promised."
"With $51m wasted on a failed attempt to build an unpopular cycle bridge, four years of non-delivery on light rail and cancelled projects like Mill Road and East-West Link, Aucklanders are rightly asking why they're still paying this tax when little it being done to improve our transport network."
Labour was good at taxing people, but poor at delivery, he said
However, all the money collected through the tax had already been committed to projects, Auckland's Mayor Phil Goff said.
Large infrastructure projects take time to design and consent, and the costs increase quickly once construction starts, so the money can't be spent overnight, he explained.
Among the projects is the major Eastern Busway, which runs through Brown's electorate, and is under construction now. It is expected to cost hundreds of millions of dollars.
"Mr Brown understands that the money is spent once you begin construction, he also knows that the project that serves his own electorate and that of the leader of the opposition, couldn't go ahead without this money."