Council opposes tolls for Te Ahu a Tūranga

Published on 02 October 2024

Green tile with white text that says council update.

Palmerston North City Council elected members today confirmed their submission opposing tolls for Te Ahu a Tūranga – Manawatū Tararua Highway.

The submission will now be sent to NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA).

Consultation on proposed tolls for Te Ahu a Tūranga ends at 5pm on Monday 7 October. 

Council discussed the topic two weeks ago, and today confirmed their submission.

The key points are listed below.

  • A tolling proposal did not form part of the original planning for the road.
  • The proposed toll will have a significant financial and social impact on local communities.
  • This is a replacement road for the closed State Highway 3 through the Manawatū Gorge. This road differs from other toll road proposals in that it is not a ‘new’ road. NZTA identifies Te Ahu a Tūranga as both a new road and a replacement road in its tolling assessment, which indicates NZTA is uncertain whether the road meets the criteria or not.
  • The proposed toll rate is nearly double the rate of existing tolls and other proposed toll roads. It is not clear how this rate is justified.
  • NZTA estimates 37% or between 3,000 and 5,000 vehicles using the Saddle Road and Pahiatua Track rather than paying the proposed tolls. These traffic numbers will increase the financial burden of local councils and the community, who will be responsible for maintaining these roads to a safe standard.
  • NZTA says Saddle Road and Pahiatua Track are the alternative roads, however these roads can be impacted by significant weather events causing closures, meaning they aren’t viable alternatives.

Council also indicated it is not opposed in principle for toll roads for new roads, but that must be discussed with the community in the planning stage – like is happening with the Ōtaki to North Levin project.

We encourage you to provide your own feedback on the consultation

You can do this by submitting the online form on the NZTA website.

Te Ahu a Tūranga – tolling consultation

Tagged as:
Back to top