44 Bowen Street
Private Bag 6995
Wellington 6141
New Zealand
T 64 4 894 5400
F 64 4 894 6100
www.nzta.govt.nz
23 October 2024
Gus M
[FYI request #28442 email]
REF: OIA-16470
Dear Gus
Request made under the Official Information Act 1982
Thank you for your email of 19 September 2024 requesting information regarding the proposed tol ing
of Te Ahu a Turanga Manawatu Taraua Highway (Te Ahu a Turanga) under the Official Information
Act 1982 (the Act).
Each aspect of your request and my decision on each are outlined below.
Please provide all communication, including emails, letters, briefings, between yourselves and
the Minister of Transport/his office that mentions or al udes to Te Ahu a Turanga Manawatu
Taraua Highway and tolls since 27 November 2023.
The fol owing document falls within the scope of your request and is enclosed:
• Attachment 1: NZT-9602 – Hon Simeon Brown to NZTA Board Chair, 16 July 2024
Certain information has been withheld from the attached under section 9(2)(a) of the Act. This section
allows for the withholding of information to protect the privacy of natural persons, including that of
deceased natural persons. Some other information falls outside the scope of your request and has
been marked as such in the attached.
With respect to the information that has been withheld, I do not consider there are any other factors
which would render it desirable, in the public interest, to make the information available.
No other communications or correspondence has been found which falls within the scope of your
request.
Please note, the Government Policy Statement on Land Transport 2024 (GPS 2024) referenced in the
attached letter is available on the Ministry of Transport’s website at:
www.transport.govt.nz/assets/Uploads/Government-Policy-Statement-on-land-transport-2024-
FINAL.pdf.
I refer you to Section 5 of the GPS 2024 – Statement of Ministerial Expectations, which outlines the
expectation of the Minister of Transport that NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA) considers
tolling for all new roads.
In addition to the above information provided in response to this request, I can advise the fol owing two
documents fal within scope and have been refused under section 18(d) of the Act as they are, or wil
soon be, publicly available:
•
Te Ahu a Turanga Tol ing Assessment and Summary available at
www.nzta.govt.nz/projects/te-ahu-a-turanga/consultation/te-ahu-a-turanga-tolling-consultation.
•
BRI-3099 – Tol ing Proposals wil be available at www.nzta.govt.nz/about-us/official-
information-act/official-information-act-responses.
•
Excerpt from Weekly Report 5 July 2024 and
Excerpt from Weekly Report 2 September 2024
wil also be available at www.nzta.govt.nz/about-us/official-information-act/official-information-
act-responses.
Additionally, in your response letter, if possible could you please advise if the Minister has
provided direction regarding a potential use of tolls on this road.
I can confirm that NZTA has not received any formal direction regarding a potential tol on Te Ahu a
Turanga. However, as per the Ministerial Expectations set out in the GPS 2024, NZTA is considering
tolling new roads completed under GPS 2024.
You can find more information about the tol ing consultation for Te Ahu a Turanga at:
www.nzta.govt.nz/projects/te-ahu-a-turanga/consultation/te-ahu-a-turanga-tolling-consultation/
Under section 28 of the Act, you have the right to ask the Ombudsman to review my decision to
withhold some information and refuse some parts of your request. The contact details for the
Ombudsman can be located at www.ombudsman.parliament.nz.
In line with NZTA policy, this response wil soon be published on our website, with personal
information removed.
If you would like to discuss this reply with NZTA, please contact the Ministerial Services team by email
to [NZTA request email].
Yours sincerely
Robyn Elston
National Manager System Design
2