A regional fuel tax for Auckland is a step closer with legislation set to be introduced into Parliament today.
Transport Minister Phil Twyford said "Auckland is at a standstill" and needs extra funding for new initiatives to help Aucklanders more easily get around.
"It would allow funds raised in Auckland to be spent only in Auckland," Mr Phil Twyford said in a statement today.
"Auckland is at a standstill and the Auckland Council understands the frustration of its ratepayers who are spending hours of their day stuck in traffic."
Mr Twyford says the council is required to consult with residents on proposed projects and must obtain Government approval before the regional tax can be spent on approved projects.
"Auckland has gone through massive population growth in recent years and its current infrastructure can no longer support the city.
"Improving infrastructure in Auckland is vital for its businesses and its people for whom just getting to work, school and about their daily activities can be a struggle.
"Solving Auckland's traffic gridlock is also important for the rest of New Zealand with congestion in the city between 2015 and 2017 estimated to have cost the economy between $1.3 billion a year in lost productivity."
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