Allegations Maori have been removed from Maori roll
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1News
2 hours ago
- 1News
What we know about new road user charges and end of petrol tax
The Government made it official this week that the petrol tax is on the way out, to be replaced by electronic road user charges, or RUCs, for everyone. Drivers of all light vehicles – petrol, hybrid, diesel and electric – will now pay for road use based on distance travelled and vehicle weight, instead of an extra charge at the pump. Right now, Road User Charges (RUC) only apply to vehicles not powered wholly by petrol, and all vehicles weighing more than 3.5 tonnes. An awful lot of the specifics around the new system remain uncertain, as the government considers how to implement the plan. But here's what we know so far. The petrol tax will go, but what's replacing it? ADVERTISEMENT All of Aotearoa's 3.5 million light vehicle owners will need to pay RUC fees to help pay for road upkeep and maintenance. But exactly how the fees will be set and collected are still a work in progress. In making the announcement, Transportation Minister Chris Bishop said it was "the biggest change to how we fund our roading network in 50 years". It comes as more and more drivers use hybrids, electric vehicles or other technology. Bishop said the number of fuel-efficient petrol hybrid vehicles has jumped from 12,000 in 2015 to 350,000 today. "As our vehicle fleet changes, so too must the way we fund our roads. It isn't fair to have Kiwis who drive less and who can't afford a fuel-efficient car paying more than people who can afford one and drive more often. "This is a change that simply has to happen. The government has recognised reality and is getting on with the transition." Replacing fuel excise taxes with electronic road user charging was part of National and ACT's coalition agreement. The government's been signalling this move for some time and last year scrapped an Auckland regional fuel tax of 11.5 cents per litre. AA principal policy adviser Terry Collins said while the association thinks the changes are good in principle, "we need to see the detail". ADVERTISEMENT How much will all this cost drivers? AA principal policy advisor Terry Collins discussed the "pros and cons" of replacing petrol tax with electronic road user charges. (Source: Breakfast) That's one of the big question marks right now. Under the system, all vehicles would be paying for road use based on distance and their vehicle's weight, Bishop said, but no detail on the weight limits was given. The current RUC for light vehicles – under 3500kg – are $76 per 1000km. The average Toyota Corolla weighs between 1200-1500kg. Charges can widely vary for larger vehicles under the current RUC, according to NTZA's website. There's also an administration fee of $12-$13 per transaction. ADVERTISEMENT No costs or parameters for the new system have been announced, but just as an example under the current RUC setup, a small electric vehicle would pay more than $760 including fees for 10,000km worth of credits. Will this bring petrol prices down? Again, answer unclear. Bishop said currently, petrol drivers pay a tax of about 70 cents per litre. However, the AA says that the full cost of fuel excise, duties and taxes such as GST altogether was over $1.20 per litre as of mid-2024. There's no real way of knowing yet if the changes would automatically drop 70 cents or more from fuel prices. When will it take effect? ADVERTISEMENT Chris Bishop said paying for RUC would be similar to paying an electricity bill at the end of each month. (Source: Breakfast) Legislative work toward the changes will begin next year, with the government eyeing 2027 for the new system to take place. "At this stage, no date has been set for the full transition of the light vehicle fleet," Bishop said. "That's a deliberate choice, as we're focused on getting the system right rather than rushing its rollout." The legislative plans include: Removing the requirement to carry or display RUC licences, allowing for digital records instead; enabling the use of a broader range of electronic RUC devices, including those already built into many modern vehicles; supporting flexible payment models such as post-pay and monthly billing; separating NZTA's roles as both RUC regulator and retailer to foster fairer competition; and allowing bundling of other road charges like tolls and time of used based pricing into a single, easy payment. "The changes will support a more user-friendly, technology-enabled RUC system, with multiple retail options available for motorists," Bishop said in announcing the changes. "Eventually, paying for RUC should be like paying a power bill online, or a Netflix subscription. Simple and easy." ADVERTISEMENT Bishop told ThreeNews that users could possibly pay road RUCs through an app, and log in and pay what they owed at the end of each month. The next step for the plan is changes to the Road User Charges Act 2012, and a bill will be introduced to Parliament and referred to a Select Committee for public input. "I expect to pass legislation in 2026, followed by an updated Code of Practice for RUC providers," Bishop said. "We will also engage with the market in 2026 to assess technological solutions and delivery timelines. In parallel, NZTA and Police will upgrade their systems to support enforcement in a digital environment." How do RUCs work now for those who pay them? Bishop called the current setup for light vehicles a "clunky" system. You keep track of your odometer readings, pay for RUC in 1000km chunks and put a sticker on your windscreen that shows how many km they are good for. Once your odometer passes the number you've paid for in RUC, you need to pay for more. "We're not going to shift millions of drivers from a simple system at the pump to queues at retailers," Bishop said. "So, instead of expanding a clunky government system, we will reform the rules to allow the market to deliver innovative, user-friendly services for drivers." ADVERTISEMENT The AA's Martin Glynn told RNZ's Morning Report that it's not the easiest system for users. "The biggest problem with it, people need to keep an eye on their odometers and see if they've used up their RUC and need to buy more. That's probably the biggest problem with it." However, the Government said it wants to shift away from the "outdated" system and replace it with greater use of electronic RUC, or eRUCs. What are eRUCs, anyway? Basically, instead of having to keep track of your odometer readings and paying as you go for km credits, it's a device that does that work automatically. There are a variety in place now for current requirements. There are several approved eRUC providers for the heavy vehicle fleet of vehicles over 3.5 tonnes. "EROAD's system automatically records the distance each vehicle travels on-road and accurately records all off-road travel with its intuitive GPS-tracking capability," the website of one of the providers, EROAD, states. ADVERTISEMENT Infrastructure New Zealand chief executive Nick Leggett applauded the change and said it could work well with other transport charges. "User-charging is a fair, proven way to fund infrastructure. ERUC will make it easier to apply that principle consistently across all vehicles, whether petrol, diesel, electric or hybrid, and as our transport system evolves. "We also see the use of flexible payment methods and the integration of eRUC with other transport charges such as tolling and congestion pricing as sensible moves." However, there's still a lot of questions around the costs of implementing eRUCs for everyone. Would all cars be fitted with new devices or would some kind of self-monitoring system be in place for those with older vehicles? And what does that eRUC technology mean for privacy? There's also been a fair bit of talk doing the rounds on social media about the idea of electronic records on vehicle travel and worries about the government tracking people. In a statement to RNZ, Bishop said there were privacy protections in place and it would remain a concern in developing the new systems. ADVERTISEMENT "The Road User Charges Act 2012 has existing provisions that protect privacy by limiting what RUC electronic information the RUC collector can access. "Location data can only be accessed to verify where the driver is owed a refund for off-road use. "Officials will be engaging with the market and stakeholders (including the Office of the Privacy Commissioner) on the features of potential solutions, such as cost, privacy and ease of use." The AA's Collins said it would be important to see the detail of "who has that information and what's done with it". "Everybody in the trucking industry wants to have that technology fitted. I don't think that's the case in the light fleet." Collins noted that our phones – which almost everyone has with them in their cars – are also packed with tracking technology. Other countries have managed similar systems, he said, but "it's what the data will ultimately be used for in the future that's the biggest concern". ADVERTISEMENT Private firms will be in charge of collecting the new fees In their announcement, the Government also said that private firms will take over the collection and administration of charges from NZTA, "to foster fairer competition". Tax Justice Aotearoa said they were concerned about that change and taking the responsibility away from the Government. "We are deeply concerned by this initiative as using the power of the state to require citizens to pay charges decided by the state is a core function of government," chairman of Tax Justice Aotearoa Glenn Barclay said in a statement. "It should not be for the profit of anyone and it means that the details of thousands of road users will be held and managed by private organisations with no accountability back to the public." "Putting RUC in the hands of private companies, who will need to make a profit on the transactions, is a recipe for higher fees for drivers," the Public Service Association union's national secretary Fleur Fitzsimons said. Will all this actually save people money? ADVERTISEMENT It's unclear. Petrol could in theory be cheaper, but will be somewhat offset by RUCs all vehicle owners must pay. "This is a once-in-a-generation change," Bishop said. "It's the right thing to do, it's the fair thing to do, and it will future proof how we fund our roads for decades to come." Collins said the distance-based changes could benefit certain drivers, such as those who own multiple vehicles that aren't actually travelling much, or boat users. "Nothing's going to be cheaper, we know that," he said. "It's like saying do you think that your cars are going to be cheaper in three years' time?" "Realistically, we want to be building a modern safe roading network and that's not cheap. All of us as road users need to contribute to that." By Nik Dirga of
RNZ News
3 hours ago
- RNZ News
New Zealand signs new agricultural trade deal with Indonesia
Minister of Agriculture/Trade and Investment Todd McClay and Indonesian Minister of Agriculture Andi Amran Sulaiman sign a new bilateral arrangement on agricultural cooperation in Jakarta, 7 August, 2025. Photo: Supplied New Zealand and Indonesia have signed a new agricultural trade agreement, as part of the government's bid to double export values in 10 years. The minister overseeing both agriculture and trade, Todd McClay, said the deal would create new commercial opportunities for farmers and agribusinesses in both countries. He signed the new bilateral arrangement in Jakarta on Thursday, alongside Indonesian Minister of Agriculture Andi Amran Sulaiman. "This new agreement will make it easier for our agricultural sectors to collaborate, share expertise and open doors for trade and investment," McClay said. "It provides a framework for stronger cooperation in areas like livestock development, smart agriculture, biosecurity, agricultural research, and streamlined trade processes." The arrangement would also see a dedicated 'Consultative Forum' established to coordinate both countries' regulations and reduce red tape for exporters. The forum would hold its first meeting within a year. "This is about building long-term commercial partnerships. It will help more New Zealand businesses connect directly with Indonesian partners, support our farmers to get their high-quality products into market, and encourage ... investment in agriculture from both sides," McClay said. "Agreements like this one help to grow the value of our exports, lift returns to the farmgate, and unlock future growth for the entire economy." Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
RNZ News
6 hours ago
- RNZ News
Season 3 Episode 15: Greens co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick on homelessness, energy poverty, Gaza, and electoral law changes
Greens co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick says National MPs she's spoken with want to support a stronger stance on sanctions against Israel but are too terrified to take on their party leadership. The sanctions are prompted by Israel's 22 month bombardment of Gaza and its refusal to allow aid to flow freely into the occupied region. Swarbrick lodged a member's bill in December and argues with all opposition parties backing it, the support of just six backbench government MPs would mean it could skip the "biscuit tin" ballot and be brought to Parliament for a first reading. She told Mata with Mihingarangi: "All we need is six of 68 government MPs to get it on the floor of the House ... I've spoken to a number of National MPs in particular and ... they're telling me, and look I'll be crystal clear about this, they're telling me that they're terrified about the future of their career because the indication that they've got from their leadership is that if they were to stick their neck out and do the right thing here they would be losing their place on the pecking order. "And my question, that I've put back to them is: What the hell is the point of your job?" Standing Order 288 allows MPs who are not ministers or under-secretaries to indicate their support for a member's bill. If at least 61 MPs get behind it, the legislation skips the "biscuit tin". If six government MPs indicated their support for this bill it would be the first time this process was followed. Late last month Foreign Minister Winston Peters called for a ceasefire in Gaza in a statement delivered in Parliament, but stopped short of promising further aid funding, or promising to join efforts to prevent weapons being sold to Israel. His speech coincided with New Zealand supporting a joint statement with 27 other countries calling for a ceasefire, and condemning the "drip-feeding of aid , and the inhumane killing of civilians, including children". A week later the coalition government signed an additional joint statement with 14 other countries expressing a willingness to recognise the State of Palestine as a necessary step towards a two-State solution. After 22 months of a devastating Israeli military campaign Greens co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick says there's a need for more than speeches and statements. "Gazans can't eat empty words, and this government has, for the better part of two years now, said that they're doing everything they can as they make statements and sit on their hands. "The very least that we could possibly do is apply the same standard that we did to Russia for its unlawful invasions into and occupation of Ukraine. "That's why we drafted the Unlawful Occupation of Palestine Sanctions bill which, after a year plus of waiting for the government to do something we put into the biscuit tin to remove any of the excuses. "The other important thing to note about the process we initiated by putting this into the biscuit tin is that we no longer need Winston Peters, Christopher Luxon or that other guy. We just need six of 68 government MPs to say that they are willing to stand by their conscience and do the right thing in the face of a genocide being live streamed to each of us 24/7 on our phones."
