Tim Dower: Can't imagine people are excited about more toll roads

I can't imagine a lot of people are excited about the idea of more of New Zealand's roads being tolled.

You'll be aware the ACT Party sees this as the way to go if we want to get those big infrastructure projects we need so badly moving more quickly.

ACT would have road development and maintenance funded through a system of tolls.

Both domestic and foreign companies would be able to fund projects instead.

And as the money wouldn't be coming from fuel excise tax, that would be reduced.

So what you'd end up with is, first of all, a much more targeted way of paying for those big schemes, much more of a user-pays system.

And for people who don't use the newer roads —the tolled ones— in theory... cheaper petrol.

Slight catch: some existing roads would also be tolled as long as another viable free route is available.

On the face of it, not bad, if it actually got things done more quickly. Like a new harbour crossing for Auckland perhaps.

Problem for ACT is that public-private partnerships don't exactly have a good name with the general public.

Transmission Gully for example... or the Pūhoi to Warkworth motorway... both were years late opening, and tens of millions over budget.

What is most appealing about the ACT plan is taking a long-term view toward infrastructure.

Too many politicians think 'long-term' means 'too hard. Let's kick the can down the road, make it someone else's problem sometime in the future.

And we need to invest billions, not just in roads but also rail.

So I'd go further. Set up and entrench a stand-alone Infrastructure Agency, funding guaranteed, safe from political interference.

Safe from half-wit Transport Ministers who think they know best.

Major investments with years of planning, and consenting, and land acquisition suddenly abandoned because a new government thinks they're vanity projects.

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