Waimakariri District Council was informed late last week that NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) planned to begin consulting the community on tolling the Woodend Bypass.
As a long-time advocate for and partner on this project, we are disappointed to have been told at the last minute this was likely.
“We have repeatedly raised concerns with NZTA about the likelihood of increased “rat running” and congestion through local streets, particularly Kaiapoi and Tuahiwi, as drivers try to avoid this level of toll,” says Mayor Dan Gordon.
More than 21,000 vehicles use this section of SH1 every day, with freight making up just 9%. This means Waimakariri residents would bear most of the cost.
For a resident in Pegasus or Ravenswood at $2.50 per trip, or $5.00 per return trip, that’s around $1,300 a year for the average workday commuter — a bill many families simply can’t afford.
For NZTA this works out to be about $19m per year in revenue. It would be far more sensible, and encourage usage, to reduce any tolls to something more sustainable for families. Especially considering road user charges and fuel tax are already funding avenues for the Bypass.
“The Bypass was designed to improve safety for Woodend residents, business owners, and school children. Between 2014 and 2023, there were 280 crashes on SH1 through Woodend, with more since.
“This is a short bypass, of similar length to existing roads, which aims to improve safety. If tolling pushes traffic back through the township and on other local roads, the Bypass will fail its core purpose: keeping people safe. It will also create new risks. We can’t see the sense of tolling to this extent.
“Council opposes tolling the Woodend Bypass at these levels and will make a formal submission to NZTA. We will strongly encourage the community to speak up during the consultation period and have their voice heard.
“The Woodend Bypass is long overdue. We welcome progress, but safety and affordability must go hand in hand — not come at the expense of ratepayers who have been calling for years for a safe road.”
To have your say visit NZTA’s engagement page - https://nzta.govt.nz/projects/sh1-belfast-to-pegasus-motorway-and-woodend-bypass/tolling-consultation.