30% drop in support for Auckland fuel tax

The Herald reports:

Weeks after Auckland drivers were hit with an 11.5c per litre regional fuel tax, more than half of Aucklanders in a survey said the new charge was a bad idea.

Fifty-seven per cent of the small sample of Aucklanders in the poll done by research firm Ipsos disagreed with the decision to introduce the tax. This was more than double the 22 per cent who supported the tax, while 21 per cent said they didn’t know or neither agreed nor disagreed.

These results mark a collapse in support since a Colmar Brunton poll, done before the tax was introduced, found 52 per cent support among Aucklanders, with 43 per cent opposed.

What Aucklanders say in the polls about the regional fuel tax
Colmar Brunton (released in April, before tax introduced)
• Support: 52%
• Opposition: 43%
Ipsos (poll done in late July, after tax introduced)
• Support: 22%
• Opposed: 57%

You have to be careful comparing polls from different companies which may have had different questions. But when the support falls from 52% to 22%, that is definitely significant.

This graph shows headline petrol prices since 2010. Over the last year the price has gone up over 40 cents a litre. For a 50 litre car that is an extra $20 per tank.