Auckland fuel prices are set to go up tomorrow as the regional fuel tax comes into effect, but operators of off-road machinery also have to pay the surcharge and say they'll have to pass the costs on to consumers.
A S Wilcox spends a million dollars a year on diesel to grow and transport its vegetables around the country.
"It's very frustrating that when a vehicle's spending 90 per cent of its life off the road, we're still getting taxed," A S Wilcox Operations Manager Simon Wilcox says.
While he's able to claim the tax as a rebate, he says the system is too complicated.
"We've had a look at it and it's probably going to cost us more to administer the system than to get the rebate," he said.
The 11.5 cents per litre increase on petrol and diesel starts tomorrow in Auckland and the region affected is large, stretching from Wellsford in the North to Pukekohe in the South.
Growers and transport companies say they will have to pass on the higher fuel costs and that's going to have a wide knock on effect, with higher prices likely across a range of products.
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