23 April 2026
Tēnā koe M Quicken
Official Information Act request
On 19 February 2026, the NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi transferred the below
part of your request to the Ministry of Social Development (the Ministry), to
respond to:
•
Please provide the human rights assessment that was done regarding:
a) Providing free public transport to any Gold card holder/s
I have considered the above part of your request under the Official Information
Act 1982 (the Act).
I have identified one draft Cabinet Paper from 2007, titled
SuperGold Card:
Possible Enhanced Public Transport Concession which contains a section on ‘Human
Rights Implications.’
In accordance with section 16(1)(e) of the Act, I have provided you with the
relevant excerpt from this draft paper in the attached
Appendix.
As stated above, please note, this section was contained in a draft Cabinet Paper,
and the Ministry cannot confirm whether it was tabled at Cabinet.
I will be publishing this decision letter, with your personal details deleted, on the
Ministry’s website in due course.
If you wish to discuss this response with us, please feel free to contact
[email address]. If you are not satisfied with my decision on your request, you have the right to
seek an investigation and review by the Ombudsman. Information about how to
make a complaint is available
at www.ombudsman.parliament.nz or 0800 802 602.
Ngā mihi nui
pp.
Anna Graham
General Manager
Ministerial and Executive Services
The Aurora Centre, 56 The Terrace, PO Box 1556, Wellington
– Telephone 04-916 3300 – Facsimile 04-918 0099
Appendix
Human rights implications
53. The proposal outlined in this paper for an enhanced transport concession for
SuperGold Card holders appears to raise an issue of inconsistency with section 19 of
the New Zealand Bil of Rights Act 1990, the right to be free from discrimination (on the
grounds of age). The concessions would only be available to cardholders, the great
majority of whom are over 65 years old.
54. The proposal appears to be justifiable in terms of section 5 of the Bil of Rights Act, as
the objectives of the concession would be to aid the access and mobility of older
people, particularly those who do not have access to other forms of transportation, and
to provide recognition of the contributions older people have made to New Zealand
society over their lifetimes.
55. There already exists a range of different public transport concessionary fares that are
largely based on age, including a number targeted at those aged 65 and over. The
proposal in this paper for free off-peak fares would extend the value of these current
age-based concessions, but would not constitute a significant change from current
policies.
Document Outline
