Some Auckland councillors are suggesting residents opposed to congestion charges use the consultation's "other" field to express their opinions, arguing there is no dedicated "do not support" option.
Three options are being proposed for how congestion charges could work in the city, each differing in how expansive the scheme would be.
The council opened public feedback on the time-of-use charge proposals yesterday, giving Aucklanders until December 11 to have their say. Residents can give their opinions on the three proposals but can't explicitly say they don't support any.
Two councillors have posted about the consultation, saying residents opposed to the scheme can share their opinions by ticking and writing in the "other" field.
One of them, North Shore Ward Councillor John Gillion, who seconded a failed amendment to add the "no" option, told 1News his post was providing advice on how residents could express their opposition.
"There is a huge amount of opposition to this out there," he said.
"I was putting in my Facebook post one way they could do that. Now there's still no guarantee that when all the data collected is analysed, that will come through, but it's what I'll be looking for in the results."
Another councillor saying residents could do the same was Albany Ward Councillor John Watson, who called the process "the rather blinkered consultation agreed to by a majority but certainly not all councillors in August".
He did, however, encourage supporters of congestion charges to "have a look and make up your own mind".
Gillion told 1News the "majority" of residents he'd spoken with were "outraged and don't even know why we're even contemplating this".
He argued residents in his ward and throughout the wider city could be "detrimentally affected" by the proposal, with workers bearing the brunt.
He was also concerned that Auckland and Starship Hospital could be in the congestion charge area.
"Quite often you're given an appointment time, or you need to rush there for whatever reason. You can't just pick and choose when you go to avoid congestion charging."
Gillion acknowledged congestion was an issue that needed to be addressed, but argued charging motorists was not the way to go.
"Free public transport or close to free public transport is probably the best alternative to a congestion charge," he said
'Congestion makes it harder'
Mayor Wayne Brown said it's about "encouraging a different behaviour". (Source: Breakfast)
The council's engagement website says that without intervention, traffic in Auckland is predicted to get worse in the coming years.
"It’s estimated that Auckland’s regular commuters lose an average of 66 hours each per year sitting in traffic. That's almost three full days away from friends, whānau and the things that matter.
"Those impacts are felt across the region. Aucklanders collectively lose around 29 million hours to traffic every year. Congestion makes it harder for people to get to jobs, for businesses to move goods efficiently, limits business growth and job opportunities."
Mayor Wayne Brown previously said he wanted congestion charges "ASAP".
The council estimated congestion costs Auckland's economy $2.6 billion.
"Time of use charging is used in cities around the world to reduce congestion and improve travel times. We are investigating how it could work in Auckland, considering our local needs and challenges."
Public feedback on the proposals will be presented to Auckland Council's Transport and Infrastructure Delivery Committee in March 2027.
After a preferred option is decided, developed, and consulted on, the final proposal will be presented to the Minister of Transport in mid-2028, with congestion charges operational by 2030 and 2031.
What are the three options being proposed?
All three options would be active during the morning and afternoon rush (7am to 10am and 3pm to 6pm), with modelled charges ranging from $2 to $7. All have differing outcomes for how much congestion would be reduced, and how many drivers could be impacted.
Option A, the "smallest and simplest option", would see an invisible cordon placed around the city centre. Motorway trips and travel within the cordon would not be charged.
Option B expands the area from Option A to include commercial areas and some neighbourhoods next to the city centre. Motorway trips and travel within the cordon will also be exempt from the charge.
Option C, the largest of the three proposals, would see drivers charged while crossing into the city centre or on congested core motorway sections – between the Harbour Bridge, Point Chevalier or Mount Wellington.
"It may also be necessary to charge some congested parts of the motorway network between peak travel times," the council said on its website.
"A variation of this option might be to apply the cordon around the city fringe instead of the city centre, but this would be considered in the next phase."
Aucklanders can share their opinions on the proposals via the council website.
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