Auckland Transport is reviewing the oversight of Waiheke’s wharf taxes after a Gulf News investigation found reported revenue from the tax could be short by millions of dollars.
The wharf tax was established by the Waiheke County Council during the 1980s to provide funds to maintain the island’s wharves. It is now administered by Auckland Transport and contributes to a pool of similar fees and levies for the maintenance and infrastructure spending on all Hauraki Gulf Island wharves. The tax is collected through ferry ticket sales and is currently 45.33 cents plus GST per passenger for each single trip.
Through an Official Information Act request, Gulf News found the reported annual revenue for the Hauraki Gulf Island’s highest grossing wharf, Mātiatia Wharf, consistently declined over the past five years – falling from $1,089,000 in 2017 to $520,000 in 2022.
• Paul Mitchell
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