WC 522: SuperGold trip payments

This page relates to the 2024-27 National Land Transport Programme.

Introduction

This page provides information regarding processes and procedures for SuperGold Card (the scheme) concession payments for off-peak public transport for SuperGold Card holders.

This activity is funded by Crown appropriation with the provision for a last resort top up of SuperGold funding to local government from the National Land Transport Fund (NLTF) (public transport services activity class). The Crown appropriation is managed by NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA) on behalf of the Ministry of Transport.

Administrative principles

The following are the principles on which the scheme is administered:

• The level of Crown funding for the scheme represents an implicit agreement between the Crown and local government on funding the mutually agreed outcomes of the scheme and, when adjusted in forward years, will remain inside the Cabinet approved appropriation.
• The 2017/18 allocation of Crown funding between individual local governments represents an agreed fair starting point.
• The allocations in future years should be adjusted for the two factors which increase cost to local government beyond those already met through financial assistance to their public transport programme:
  • an increase in the number of SuperGold trips as a proportion of total off-peak travel
  • an increase in the cost of off-peak travel assessed through a simple proxy such as bus kilometres.
• The scheme administration procedures include the provision for a last resort top up of SuperGold funding to local government from the NLTF (public transport services activity class). This National Land Transport Programme (NLTP) top up would only be required should growth in proportional SuperGold patronage or the cost of off-peak services at an aggregate level across all local authorities increase above the estimates on which the 3-yearly Crown funding levels have been based. Should a top up be required, this will be represented by a separate line item for the work category.

The Ministry of Transport is responsible for developing and reviewing SuperGold Card concession policy, including eligibility of services for the scheme (all contracted public transport services approved by us (NZTA as investor) are eligible), and for setting overall funding levels.

Qualifying activities

Qualifying activities comprises concession payments for off-peak public transport for SuperGold Card holders.

Work category 522 is available to the public transport services activity class.

Public transport services and infrastructure

Examples of qualifying activities

Examples of qualifying activities include, but may not be limited to:

• fully subsidised travel on off-peak eligible public transport services by SuperGold Card holders.

Other potential activities that are not on the above list should be discussed with us for eligibility.

Exclusions

Work category 522 excludes:

• any services and routes that do not form part of an approved organisation’s regional public transport plan (RPTP) (this excludes exempt services)
• SuperGold funding assistance for all peak services
• SuperGold Card administration costs.

Conditions of funding

Specific policy settings (previously set out in a memorandum of understanding) apply under which the scheme will operate and, in particular, the terms and conditions on which we will reimburse councils through Crown funding.

Agreed off-peak periods

The following off-peak periods apply:

• 9am to 3pm Monday to Friday, from 6.30pm until the end of service Monday to Thursday, and 6.30pm Friday to 6.30am Monday
• Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays.

A card holder who boards a service within 10 minutes before the start of an agreed off-peak period or within 10 minutes after the end of an agreed off-peak period is to be treated as having boarded the service during an agreed off-peak period.

Eligible services

An eligible service is any public transport service identified in an RPTP, including scheduled contracted bus, train and ferry services available in urban areas within a region.

Excluded services

The following services are excluded from the scheme and must not be included in eligible services:

• tours and excursions generally
• long-distance coach and train services
• inter-island ferry services
• special event services
• Total Mobility services
• taxi services.

Auditing

Each council must allow us to audit the council’s systems for collecting and holding certificates of patronage and supporting information, and the related data, from time to time as convenient to the council and us, acting reasonably.

Suspected misuse of SuperGold cards

The council must inform us of all reports of attempted misuse of SuperGold Cards received from operators, as well as any misuse detected in its audit processes.

Submitting activities for NLTP consideration and funding approval

Approved organisations submit these activities using the SuperGold Card activity module in Transport Investment Online (TIO).

Transport Investment Online(external link)

For guidance on using TIO, see the TIO learning and guidance page on our website.

Transport Investment Online (TIO) learning and guidance

Note: funding allocations to individual councils in forward years will be adjusted year-on-year to reflect the proportional change in SuperGold patronage used as a simple year-on-year adjustment factor to which a consumer price index adjustment agreed with the Crown will be applied.

Payments

Contracted services

The approved SuperGold allocation for each approved organisation will be paid within the first quarter of a new NLTP year.

Exempt services

Payment for SuperGold patronage on exempt services will be based on claims in accordance with the NZTA criteria for managing claims through the TIO claims module.