20 February 2023
File Ref: OIAP-7-27001
Tony Randle
By email: [FYI request #21598 email]
Tēnā koe Tony
Request for information 2023-011
I refer to your request for information dated Saturday 21 January 2023. You have requested the
fol owing:
“I am interested in the extent to which the different public transport PTOM units are subsidised.
On the 21 July 2021 and 23rd September 2021, the GWRC previously provided the patronage, fare,
subsidy and PTOM Unit Commerciality Ratios for contracted public transport services for the years
2018/19 and 2019/20: https://fyi.org.nz/request/15537-request-for-pt-unit-subsidy-
information#incoming-63009
I request the same information for the months since June 2019 which is the last month for which al
the requested data was provided.
For each PTOM unit for Greater Wel ington public transport services (bus, train and ferry) for each
year from 2020/21 until now, can the GWRC please provide:
1) The patronage data for the unit by month
2) The fare Revenue for the unit by month
3) The data that shows the extent to which the unit is subsidised by month
4) The Commerciality Ratio for the unit by month
If this information is held in electronic form, it is preferred that the information is provided in its
complete and original format.
Wel ington office
Upper Hutt
Masterton office
0800 496 734
PO Box 11646
PO Box 40847
PO Box 41
www.gw.govt.nz
Manners St, Wel ington 6142
1056 Fergusson Drive
Masterton 5840
[Wellington Regional Council request email]
Greater Wel ington’s response fol ows:
Attachment 1 contains the information you have requested as fol ows:
Table 1 provides patronage information for each operating unit by month
Table 2 provides fare revenue information for each operating unit by month
Table 3 provides SuperGold fare revenue information for total network and units by month
Table 4 provides operating expenditure information for each operating unit by month
Table 5 provides the expenditure at 51% Funding Assistance Rate for each unit by month
Table 6 provides commerciality ratios for each bus operating unit and for the network
The commerciality ratios are calculated for the financial years 2020/21 and 2021/22 based on the
approach and formula set out in Appendix H of Waka Kotahi’s Procurement Manual which can be
found at: https://www.nzta.govt.nz/resources/procurement-manual/
Please note that:
The Commerciality Ratios provided in Attachment 1 are not representative of Greater
Wel ington Regional Council’s Revenue and Financing policies in the Long Term Plan.
Greater Wel ington does not use the Commerciality Ratios as a performance measure to inform
its budget and funding structure in the Long Term Plan or Annual Plans.
Greater Wel ington does not consider Commerciality Ratios as an appropriate measure to
monitor the extent or distribution of subsidy over time. This is primarily on the basis that the
cost component used to calculate the Commerciality Ratios do not include the expenses that
are necessary to deliver the services, including the capital expenditures associated with fleet,
network access charges for rail services, infrastructure maintenance and upgrades, and
network-wide costs such as ticketing and real-time information.
Metlink ferry services are operated under a net contract. Therefore, the cost component of the
Commerciality Ratio includes the fare revenue as a proxy for the balance of the costs after
contract price to estimate the gross operating costs.
The ferry fare revenue is provided in this attachment as a total annual sum and used to calculate
the Commerciality Ratios in Table 6.
For the bus network, the SuperGold funding is al ocated to units based on their share of the total
SuperGold patronage.
The fare revenue values do not include government funding of half-price fares and COVID-19
funding support of the foregone revenue.
If you have any concerns with the decision(s) referred to in this letter, you have the right to request
an investigation and review by the Ombudsman under section 27(3) of the Local Government Official
Information and Meetings Act 1987.
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Please note that it is our policy to proactively release our responses to official information requests
where possible. Our response to your request wil be published shortly on Greater Wel ington’s
website with your personal information removed.
Nāku iti noa, nā
Samantha Gain
Kaiwhakahaere Matua Waka-ā-atea | General Manager Metlink
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