The Opportunity Party Transport Policy 2026 | Transport 2026 NZ

The Opportunity Party – Party Overview

Last updated: 3 August 2026

The Opportunity Party, increasingly branded simply as Opportunity, is a reform-focused New Zealand political party that presents itself as an alternative to the traditional political divide.

The party argues that repeated changes of government have created short-term decision-making, cancelled infrastructure, inconsistent regulation and a reluctance to address difficult structural problems.

Opportunity describes its wider mission as creating opportunity for every New Zealander through evidence, honesty, long-term thinking and substantial economic and political reform. Its 2026 campaign is organised around the broad objectives of fixing politics, building what it calls the next economy and restoring nature. (opportunity.org.nz)

Transport does not sit within one single Opportunity manifesto document.

Instead, the party’s transport direction is spread across several major policy areas:

  • Free Public Transport.

  • Intergenerational Infrastructure.

  • Abundant Energy.

  • Accelerating EV Uptake.

  • Tax Reset.

  • Affordable Housing.

  • Citizens’ Voice.

  • Breakthrough Economy.

Together, those policies create a relatively clear transport philosophy.

Opportunity supports:

  • Making public transport free to users.

  • Increasing long-term public infrastructure investment.

  • Developing a 30-year infrastructure framework.

  • Reducing the cancellation of projects after elections.

  • Giving maintenance and renewals greater protection.

  • Completing the replacement of the Resource Management Act.

  • Using user-pays and value-capture funding where appropriate.

  • Expanding renewable electricity generation.

  • Electrifying public-transport systems.

  • Accelerating business purchases of electric vehicles.

  • Using long-term savings capital to support infrastructure and national development.

The party’s programme is more interventionist than ACT’s approach to public transport and energy, but more open than the Green Party to user-pays infrastructure and private capital.

It combines traditionally centre-left policies, such as universal free public transport and increased public investment, with policies more commonly associated with economic liberalism, including tax restructuring, competition reform, streamlined regulation and beneficiary-based infrastructure funding.

Opportunity argues that this combination allows it to work with parties on both the left and right while pursuing longer-term structural reform.

The party has published several significant 2026 policies.

However, it has not yet released a single transport manifesto listing every road, rail, aviation, maritime and public-transport project it would fund during its first term.

Leadership and Key People

Party Leadership

  • Qiulae “Q” Wong – Leader of Opportunity and candidate for Mt Albert.

  • Daniel Eb – Deputy Leader and candidate for Kaipara ki Mahurangi.

Qiulae Wong became leader ahead of the 2026 election.

Her professional background includes law, human rights, disability inclusion, ethical business, climate transition and purpose-led enterprise. Before entering party leadership, she worked with businesses on sustainability and low-carbon transition and led the B Corp movement in New Zealand. (opportunity.org.nz)

Daniel Eb has a background in rural innovation, food systems, communications and nature-positive farming. He is standing in Kaipara ki Mahurangi and has been involved in the party’s regional and rural campaigning. (opportunity.org.nz)

Transport and Infrastructure Leadership

Opportunity does not currently promote one clearly designated national Transport spokesperson on its main policy or candidate pages.

That differs from the larger parliamentary parties, which generally identify an MP with formal responsibility for the portfolio.

The most transport-relevant Opportunity figure directly engaged by Transport 2026 is:

  • Dave Bainbridge-Zafar – Opportunity candidate for Dunedin.

Bainbridge-Zafar holds an MBA in infrastructure asset management and has worked in senior roles at Dunedin City Council, Health New Zealand and Gore District Council. His experience has included major infrastructure and public-sector asset management, including involvement with the New Dunedin Hospital programme. (opportunity.org.nz)

During his Transport 2026 interview, Bainbridge-Zafar said he had written Opportunity’s universal free-public-transport policy and discussed infrastructure planning, maintenance, electrification, procurement, road-user charges and practical access issues.

That makes him a significant transport voice for the party.

However, unless Opportunity formally confirms the role, he should be described as the most transport-relevant candidate currently engaged by Transport 2026, rather than the party’s official Transport spokesperson.

Wider Infrastructure-Relevant Figures

Opportunity’s 2026 candidate team includes several people with experience relevant to infrastructure, transport, engineering, environmental planning and local government.

These include:

  • Jessica Hammond, whose background includes public policy and transport infrastructure.

  • Matt Harris, an engineer with experience in infrastructure, technology and complex systems.

  • Kayla Kingdon-Bebb, with experience in environmental and natural-resource policy.

  • Daniel Eb, whose work connects regional development, food production and rural communities.

  • Qiulae Wong, whose background includes business transition, climate policy and investment.

The party’s candidate list is comparatively large for a minor party, but its transport-policy authority remains less centralised than that of National, Labour, ACT or the Greens. (opportunity.org.nz)

Opportunity’s Transport and Infrastructure Direction

Opportunity’s transport policy can be grouped into seven broad themes:

  1. Free public transport.

  2. Long-term infrastructure planning.

  3. Greater public capital investment.

  4. Asset maintenance and renewal.

  5. Electrification and abundant renewable energy.

  6. User-pays and value capture where appropriate.

  7. Reduced political cancellation and stronger evidence-based decision-making.

The party presents transport as both an infrastructure issue and a wider economic and social system.

Its argument is that poor transport restricts:

  • Access to employment.

  • Education.

  • Healthcare.

  • Social participation.

  • Business productivity.

  • Housing development.

  • Regional growth.

  • Climate progress.

  • Household financial security.

Opportunity’s transport policies are intended to sit alongside its proposed changes to taxation, savings, energy generation, housing and political decision-making.

Confirmed 2026 Policy: Free Public Transport

Opportunity supports making all public transport free to users.

The party describes the policy as permanent rather than a temporary response to a fuel-price crisis.

It argues that eliminating fares would:

  • Reduce household transport costs.

  • Increase access to employment and education.

  • Improve access to healthcare.

  • Increase public-transport use.

  • Reduce congestion.

  • Reduce air pollution.

  • Reduce fuel demand.

  • Remove fare-collection costs.

  • Improve productivity.

  • Make the system easier to use. (opportunity.org.nz)

Opportunity argues that public transport creates benefits beyond the individual passenger.

When a person chooses a bus, train or ferry instead of driving, the wider effects may include:

  • Fewer vehicles in congestion.

  • Reduced pressure on parking.

  • Lower transport emissions.

  • Reduced local air pollution.

  • Lower road demand.

  • Greater access for people without a car.

The party therefore treats public transport as a public service with wider economic and social value rather than a service that must recover a fixed proportion of its cost through fares.

Why Remove Fares Entirely?

Opportunity argues that partial discounts, concessions and fare caps preserve much of the complexity of the existing ticketing system.

A fare system still requires:

  • Cards or tickets.

  • Payment equipment.

  • Account management.

  • Fare enforcement.

  • Revenue processing.

  • Concession rules.

  • Eligibility verification.

  • Customer support.

  • Technology maintenance.

The party’s position is that removing fares entirely would create a simpler and more understandable system.

Opportunity also argues that a complete removal of fares would produce a stronger behavioural change than a smaller discount because passengers would know that every eligible trip was free at the point of use. (opportunity.org.nz)

What Services Would Be Included?

Opportunity’s policy states that public transport would be free to users.

However, the party has not yet published a detailed national definition of the services covered.

Important questions include whether the policy would apply to:

  • Urban buses.

  • Metropolitan trains.

  • Urban ferries.

  • Regional buses.

  • Interregional public services.

  • Community transport.

  • On-demand public transport.

  • Passenger rail between regions.

  • Total Mobility.

  • Publicly funded school transport.

  • Commercial intercity coaches.

  • Tourism-oriented passenger services.

The most likely interpretation is that the policy is directed primarily at publicly funded scheduled transport.

That should not be treated as confirmed until Opportunity publishes a formal eligibility framework.

Rural Communities

Opportunity’s own policy acknowledges that free public transport provides limited benefit to people living in areas where public transport does not exist.

The party argues that because most New Zealanders live in urban centres, investing in free public transport in those locations would still produce substantial productivity and health benefits. (opportunity.org.nz)

This is a candid acknowledgement of a limitation in the policy.

It also creates an important unanswered question:

What transport policy would Opportunity offer people who do not have a service to make free?

A complete rural and regional programme could include:

  • Regional bus services.

  • On-demand transport.

  • Community shuttles.

  • Health transport.

  • School transport.

  • Interregional coaches.

  • Rural mobility funding.

  • Passenger rail.

  • Support for essential private vehicle use.

Opportunity has not yet published that wider programme.

Public Support and International Examples

Opportunity points to fare-free systems in Luxembourg, Malta, Estonia and a number of cities in Europe and North America.

It argues that those examples demonstrate that fare-free public transport can increase patronage and become politically durable. (opportunity.org.nz)

International examples require careful comparison.

Results can vary according to:

  • Population density.

  • Existing service quality.

  • Network coverage.

  • Fuel prices.

  • Parking costs.

  • Road congestion.

  • Funding models.

  • Urban design.

  • Whether services were expanded at the same time.

Removing fares may increase patronage without substantially reducing car use if services remain slow, infrequent or unavailable.

The success of the Opportunity policy would therefore depend on both affordability and service quality.

Cost and Funding of Free Public Transport

Opportunity argues that free public transport can pay for itself over the longer term through productivity and public-health gains.

Its policy cites Auckland congestion costs and the health effects of transport-related air pollution as examples of wider costs that may be reduced when more people use public transport. (opportunity.org.nz)

However, wider economic benefits do not remove the need for annual government funding.

Public-transport systems would still require money for:

  • Drivers.

  • Fuel and electricity.

  • Vehicle purchases.

  • Rail operations.

  • Ferry operations.

  • Maintenance.

  • Stations and stops.

  • Depots.

  • Insurance.

  • Technology.

  • Service planning.

  • Network expansion.

Councils and operators currently receive part of their revenue from passengers.

That revenue would need to be replaced.

Opportunity has not yet published:

  • A final annual national cost.

  • The amount of fare revenue to be replaced.

  • The division of funding between central and local government.

  • An operator-reimbursement mechanism.

  • A regional allocation formula.

  • The cost of increased patronage.

  • The cost of additional fleet and service capacity.

These figures will be essential for comparing Opportunity’s proposal with Labour’s fare cap and the Green Party’s targeted free-fare programme.

Service Capacity

Fare-free travel could increase demand.

That is one of the policy’s intended effects.

However, increased demand would require greater capacity.

Depending on the scale of patronage growth, New Zealand could require:

  • More buses.

  • More trains.

  • More ferry sailings.

  • More drivers.

  • More maintenance workers.

  • Larger depots.

  • Additional railway capacity.

  • More bus-priority infrastructure.

  • More charging infrastructure.

  • Greater operating funding.

If those investments do not occur, free public transport could produce more crowded vehicles and less reliable services.

Opportunity’s final implementation plan should therefore include:

  • Regional patronage forecasts.

  • Fleet requirements.

  • Workforce requirements.

  • Service-frequency targets.

  • Infrastructure requirements.

  • A staged delivery programme.

  • A plan for areas that currently have limited services.

Intergenerational Infrastructure

Opportunity’s Intergenerational Infrastructure policy provides the wider framework for its transport programme.

The party argues that New Zealand’s infrastructure system suffers from:

  • Decisions changing after elections.

  • Poor asset management.

  • Inconsistent procurement.

  • Construction-workforce shortages.

  • Slow and complex regulation.

  • Underinvestment.

  • Weak maintenance planning.

  • A lack of stable long-term funding.

Its policy proposes:

  • A 30-year framework developed independently by the New Zealand Infrastructure Commission.

  • Significantly increased public investment.

  • Additional infrastructure funding for local government.

  • Free public transport.

  • Completion of Resource Management Act replacement.

  • User-pays and value capture where appropriate.

  • National asset-management standards.

  • Maintenance and renewal planning within an integrated infrastructure pipeline. (opportunity.org.nz)

This is the central policy connecting Opportunity’s public-transport commitment with roads, rail, water, housing, energy and other infrastructure.

Thirty-Year Infrastructure Framework

Opportunity supports a 30-year infrastructure framework developed by the Infrastructure Commission rather than determined solely by the government of the day.

The objective is to reduce what the party describes as pendulum politics, in which projects are repeatedly announced, redesigned, cancelled and revived.

The party argues that constant changes create:

  • Wasted planning costs.

  • Higher construction costs.

  • Reduced investor confidence.

  • Workforce uncertainty.

  • Loss of industry capacity.

  • Delayed public benefits.

  • Difficulty coordinating housing and infrastructure.

Opportunity’s position is that elected governments should still determine budgets and priorities, but the underlying evidence, pipeline and long-term strategy should be more independent and stable.

Democratic Accountability

Independent planning does not remove political questions.

Major infrastructure decisions involve choices about:

  • Taxation.

  • Debt.

  • Land acquisition.

  • Environmental effects.

  • Regional distribution.

  • Public ownership.

  • User charges.

  • Which projects proceed first.

Opportunity should clarify how its 30-year framework would balance:

  • Independent expert advice.

  • Parliamentary accountability.

  • Local-government participation.

  • Public consultation.

  • Te Tiriti obligations.

  • Changes in technology.

  • Changes in economic conditions.

  • The mandate of future governments.

Citizens’ Assemblies and Infrastructure Decisions

Opportunity’s Citizens’ Voice policy proposes using citizens’ assemblies to address complex and divisive national questions.

The party argues that representative groups of ordinary New Zealanders, supported by balanced expert evidence, could help develop durable recommendations on issues politicians have repeatedly failed to resolve.

It links this approach with infrastructure by arguing that constant political reversals have contributed to cancelled projects and inconsistent long-term planning. (opportunity.org.nz)

The party has not stated that every major transport project would be decided through a citizens’ assembly.

However, the model could potentially be used for questions such as:

  • National road funding.

  • Congestion charging.

  • Major rapid-transit investment.

  • Energy infrastructure.

  • Long-term climate adaptation.

  • A national rail programme.

  • Infrastructure debt.

  • Major urban-growth decisions.

Questions remain about:

  • Which issues would qualify.

  • Whether recommendations would be binding.

  • How members would be selected.

  • Who would choose the evidence.

  • How Māori participation would be protected.

  • How quickly decisions could be made.

  • Whether elected governments could reject the result.

Infrastructure Investment

Opportunity supports significantly increasing public infrastructure investment.

In its submission on the 2026 Budget Policy Statement, the party argued that New Zealand’s overall Crown balance sheet remained capable of supporting carefully selected debt-funded infrastructure.

It supported greater capital investment in:

  • Renewable energy.

  • Climate mitigation.

  • Climate adaptation.

  • Long-term infrastructure.

  • Productivity-enhancing assets.

Opportunity also argued that stable infrastructure funding would enable both long-term public planning and greater private investment. (opportunity.org.nz)

This places Opportunity between some of the larger parties.

Like Labour and the Greens, it supports greater public investment and accepts borrowing for productive assets.

Like National and ACT, it also recognises a role for private capital, user charges and beneficiary funding.

The party’s point of difference is its attempt to place those tools inside an independent and long-term planning framework.

User-Pays and Value Capture

Opportunity’s infrastructure policy supports user-pays and value capture where appropriate.

User-pays funding may include:

  • Road tolls.

  • Congestion charges.

  • Public utility charges.

  • Direct infrastructure fees.

  • Service charges.

Value capture seeks to recover part of the increase in land or property value produced by new public infrastructure.

Potential methods include:

  • Targeted rates.

  • Development contributions.

  • Infrastructure levies.

  • Special assessment districts.

  • Government participation in land development.

  • Capturing part of land-value increases near new transport corridors.

Opportunity’s support for these tools sits alongside its free-public-transport policy.

The apparent distinction is that public transport would be treated as a universally available public service, while particular infrastructure beneficiaries may contribute more directly to the cost of new assets.

The party still needs to explain:

  • Which roads could be tolled.

  • Whether congestion charging would be supported.

  • Whether a free alternative route would be required.

  • How low-income households would be protected.

  • Whether public transport would be exempt from road charges.

  • How land-value increases would be calculated.

  • Whether value capture would apply retrospectively.

  • How charges would interact with the proposed Land Value Tax.

Maintenance and Asset Management

Opportunity places unusually strong emphasis on maintaining existing infrastructure.

Its policy proposes requiring infrastructure owners to:

  • Meet asset-management standards.

  • Publish maintenance plans.

  • Plan renewal requirements.

  • Include maintenance within an integrated national pipeline.

  • Reduce the political tendency to favour new announcements over less visible upkeep. (opportunity.org.nz)

This has direct relevance to:

  • Roads.

  • Bridges.

  • Rail.

  • Ports.

  • Airports.

  • Public-transport fleets.

  • Stations.

  • Energy systems.

  • Water infrastructure.

Maintenance often receives less political attention than new construction because it does not produce a new opening ceremony or a recognisable new project.

However, deferred maintenance can create:

  • Higher future costs.

  • More failures.

  • Reduced resilience.

  • Slower services.

  • Safety risks.

  • Emergency closures.

  • Poorer asset performance.

Opportunity’s approach is consistent with the National Infrastructure Plan’s broader emphasis on understanding and caring for existing assets.

The party still needs to explain how its asset-management standards would be enforced and what would happen when councils or Crown entities lacked the money to meet them.

Roads and State Highways

Opportunity has not released a project-by-project road programme for the 2026 election.

It has not publicly identified which of National’s Roads of National Significance it would:

  • Support.

  • Cancel.

  • Rescope.

  • Delay.

  • Replace.

  • Fund through tolls.

Its infrastructure policy suggests that road projects would be assessed within the 30-year independent framework rather than selected principally through election announcements.

Likely assessment criteria would include:

  • Economic benefit.

  • Safety.

  • Resilience.

  • Housing growth.

  • Freight value.

  • Environmental effects.

  • Cost.

  • Maintenance requirements.

  • Alternative transport options.

  • Long-term affordability.

This is an inference based on the party’s infrastructure principles rather than a formal road policy.

Opportunity should publish a clear position on major current projects, including:

  • The Northland Expressway.

  • Mill Road.

  • East West Link.

  • Cambridge to Piarere.

  • Ōtaki to north of Levin.

  • Wellington state-highway projects.

  • Christchurch transport projects.

  • Regional resilience routes.

Road Maintenance and Resilience

Opportunity’s strong asset-management position implies support for maintaining and renewing existing roads.

The party also supports increased Crown investment in climate adaptation and resilience. (opportunity.org.nz)

A full road programme should identify:

  • State-highway maintenance funding.

  • Local-road co-funding.

  • Bridge replacement.

  • Climate resilience.

  • Rural access.

  • Coastal-road protection.

  • Landslide and flood mitigation.

  • Safety improvements.

  • Emergency alternative routes.

The party’s current infrastructure policy establishes the planning principle but not a detailed road-maintenance budget.

Road-User Charges

Opportunity has not published a detailed standalone road-user-charge policy.

During his Transport 2026 interview, Dave Bainbridge-Zafar indicated broad support for moving toward a more universal RUC system.

That position was presented as part of a wider transition rather than a narrow road-maintenance policy.

Interview discussion included:

  • Distance-based charging.

  • The declining sustainability of petrol excise.

  • The treatment of electric vehicles.

  • Environmental policy.

  • The need to balance road funding with wider transport objectives.

These comments are useful evidence of policy direction but should remain labelled as attributable interview statements unless Opportunity publishes a formal RUC policy.

Important unanswered questions include:

  • Whether Opportunity supports the current Government’s electronic RUC legislation.

  • How vehicle weight would be treated.

  • Whether rural users would receive recognition.

  • Whether charges could vary by location or time.

  • How privacy would be protected.

  • Whether drivers would pay in advance or arrears.

  • How commercial fleets would be charged.

  • Whether public transport would receive exemptions.

  • How RUC would interact with tolls and congestion charging.

Congestion Charging

Opportunity’s support for user-pays infrastructure means it may be open to congestion charging or time-of-use road pricing.

However, the party has not released a specific 2026 policy supporting an Auckland or other urban charging scheme.

Its free-public-transport policy could provide one part of an alternative for people affected by road pricing.

A complete policy would still need to explain:

  • Whether free public transport must begin before a charge.

  • Which cities could introduce schemes.

  • How much drivers would pay.

  • Whether lower-income households would receive relief.

  • Whether disabled and essential users would be exempt.

  • Whether revenue would remain within the region.

  • Whether public transport and commercial passenger services would be exempt.

  • How privacy would be protected.

Public Transport Governance and Delivery

Opportunity supports free public transport but has not published a detailed position on whether services should be publicly or privately operated.

Its policy could be delivered through:

  • Existing contracted private operators.

  • Council-owned operators.

  • Public fleet ownership.

  • National public-transport entities.

  • A mixed system.

The party’s emphasis on evidence, competition and practical delivery does not clearly point toward the removal of private operators.

During the Transport 2026 interview, Bainbridge-Zafar expressed concern about declining competition and market concentration across parts of the economy.

He supported stronger competition oversight and argued that procurement should assess more than the lowest initial price.

This suggests Opportunity may favour a mixed system in which public agencies fund and plan services while contracts are structured to preserve competition and wider public value.

A formal policy is still required.

Procurement and Competition

Opportunity’s Breakthrough Economy policy seeks stronger action against concentrated markets and proposes increasing the Commerce Commission’s ability to challenge monopolistic or anti-competitive behaviour. (opportunity.org.nz)

The party’s competition position has relevance to transport and infrastructure where markets may become concentrated among a small number of:

  • Construction companies.

  • Engineering consultancies.

  • Public-transport operators.

  • Equipment suppliers.

  • Energy companies.

  • Freight companies.

  • Technology providers.

During his Transport 2026 interview, Bainbridge-Zafar said public procurement should look beyond the lowest tender price.

He identified potential wider measures including:

  • Training.

  • Apprenticeships.

  • Community benefit.

  • Long-term maintenance.

  • Service quality.

  • Whole-of-life value.

  • Market competition.

Opportunity has not yet released a detailed transport-procurement policy.

The party should explain:

  • How contracts would be divided.

  • Whether New Zealand ownership would receive recognition.

  • How smaller companies could participate.

  • Whether wider social value would be mandatory.

  • How competition would be protected.

  • How whole-of-life cost would be assessed.

  • How contract performance would be enforced.

Abundant Energy

Opportunity’s Abundant Energy policy has substantial transport and infrastructure implications.

The party proposes increasing New Zealand’s renewable electricity generation capacity by up to 30 gigawatts by 2050.

It also proposes:

  • A cross-party long-term energy agreement.

  • A capacity investment scheme.

  • Electricity-market reform.

  • Ringfencing government electricity-company profits.

  • Consolidating energy regulators.

  • Reducing the number of electricity distribution companies.

  • Low-interest household electrification loans.

  • Community energy projects.

  • Electrification of public-transport systems. (opportunity.org.nz)

The policy is based on the argument that New Zealand imports billions of dollars of fossil fuels while possessing significant renewable hydro, wind, solar and geothermal resources.

Opportunity says expanding renewable energy would:

  • Reduce exposure to imported fuel.

  • Lower electricity costs over time.

  • Support industrial development.

  • Improve energy security.

  • Enable transport electrification.

  • Create skilled employment.

  • Reduce emissions.

Electrifying Public Transport

Opportunity explicitly supports electrifying public-transport systems.

This could include:

  • Battery-electric buses.

  • Electric urban rail.

  • Electric ferries.

  • Depot charging.

  • Opportunity charging.

  • Grid upgrades.

  • Renewable-energy connections.

The policy is stronger than simply requiring operators to purchase electric vehicles because it connects transport electrification with national electricity generation and distribution.

That is an important practical distinction.

Electrification can be constrained by:

  • Grid capacity.

  • Transformer availability.

  • Depot connections.

  • Charging equipment.

  • Vehicle range.

  • Fleet capital costs.

  • Electricity pricing.

  • Procurement time.

  • Vehicle availability.

Opportunity’s Abundant Energy programme attempts to address the upstream electricity constraint.

It does not yet explain:

  • How electric public-transport vehicles would be funded.

  • Whether grants or loans would be available.

  • Who would pay for depot upgrades.

  • What timetable would apply.

  • How long-distance and rural services would be treated.

  • Whether hydrogen or renewable fuels would have a role.

Accelerating Business EV Uptake

In May 2026, Opportunity announced two targeted tax incentives intended to increase electric-vehicle purchases by businesses:

  • Fully accelerated depreciation for qualifying business EVs.

  • A two-year fringe-benefit-tax exemption for new electric vehicles purchased by businesses. (opportunity.org.nz)

Accelerated depreciation would allow a business to deduct the full eligible vehicle cost in the year of purchase rather than spreading the deduction over several years.

The temporary fringe-benefit-tax exemption would reduce the tax cost when a business EV is also available for private use.

Opportunity estimates:

  • Accelerated depreciation would initially have an annual fiscal effect of approximately $80 million, with much of the cost recovered in later years through the timing of deductions.

  • The fringe-benefit-tax exemption would initially cost approximately $25 million annually and could rise to as much as $125 million with wider uptake. (opportunity.org.nz)

The party says the cost would be met from ringfenced profits from state-owned electricity generators under its Abundant Energy policy.

Scope of the EV Policy

The policy is focused on business vehicles.

Opportunity should clarify whether it includes:

  • Passenger cars.

  • Vans.

  • Light-commercial vehicles.

  • Taxis.

  • Rental vehicles.

  • Buses.

  • Coaches.

  • Heavy trucks.

  • Specialist commercial vehicles.

The availability and economics of electric heavy vehicles differ substantially from those of passenger cars.

The party should also explain:

  • Eligible vehicle-price limits.

  • Whether used imported EVs qualify.

  • Whether plug-in hybrids qualify.

  • How the policy interacts with RUC.

  • Whether charging equipment is deductible.

  • Whether the two-year FBT exemption applies to each vehicle or the whole programme.

  • What happens after the exemption ends.

Tax Reset and Infrastructure

Opportunity’s Tax Reset proposes three principal reforms:

The transport relevance is substantial.

Land Value Tax

The proposed annual Land Value Tax would be charged on the unimproved value of land rather than buildings.

Opportunity argues that the tax would:

  • Reduce land banking.

  • Lower incentives for property speculation.

  • Encourage more productive land use.

  • Shift taxation away from work.

  • Support housing affordability.

  • Redirect investment toward businesses.

Land taxes can also influence transport and urban development.

Where infrastructure increases land value, a broad land-value tax may allow government to recover some of that increase indirectly.

However, Opportunity separately supports targeted value capture.

The party will need to explain how the two systems would interact.

KiwiSaver 2.0

Opportunity proposes increasing employee and employer retirement contributions over time to 6 per cent.

It argues that a larger national savings pool could help fund infrastructure, innovation and productive development. (opportunity.org.nz)

The party says this could eventually create a capital pool of around $1 trillion.

That capital would not automatically be government money.

KiwiSaver funds invest on behalf of individual members and must meet fiduciary and risk requirements.

Opportunity should clarify:

  • Whether funds would be encouraged or required to invest domestically.

  • How infrastructure investments would be structured.

  • Whether government guarantees would be provided.

  • How member returns would be protected.

  • Whether investments would be liquid.

  • How political interference would be avoided.

  • Whether the policy could concentrate retirement savings in New Zealand assets.

Housing and Transport

Opportunity’s Affordable Housing policy supports:

  • A Land Value Tax.

  • Planning reform.

  • Greater housing supply.

  • Infrastructure investment.

  • Reduced land banking. (opportunity.org.nz)

Housing policy has direct transport consequences.

Where homes are built determines:

  • Commuting distance.

  • Public-transport demand.

  • Road requirements.

  • Infrastructure cost.

  • Access to employment.

  • Household vehicle dependence.

  • Land value.

Opportunity’s support for long-term infrastructure planning and a land-value tax could encourage more intensive use of well-located urban land.

However, the party has not yet published detailed policy on:

  • Transit-oriented development.

  • Density around stations.

  • Parking requirements.

  • Urban growth boundaries.

  • Infrastructure sequencing.

  • Development contributions.

  • Council zoning.

  • Rapid-transit corridors.

Rail

Opportunity has not released a comprehensive 2026 passenger or freight rail programme.

Its free-public-transport policy could include publicly funded urban and regional passenger rail, but the party has not identified:

  • New passenger routes.

  • Rail-service frequency.

  • KiwiRail funding.

  • Freight priorities.

  • Metropolitan rail investment.

  • Regional rail.

  • Rolling-stock replacement.

  • Cook Strait rail connections.

  • Private passenger operators.

The Intergenerational Infrastructure policy suggests that rail projects would be considered within the 30-year national framework.

The Abundant Energy policy also supports electrification, which may be relevant to metropolitan and longer-distance rail.

A complete transport manifesto should clarify Opportunity’s position on:

  • Auckland rail.

  • Lower North Island rail.

  • Auckland–Hamilton–Tauranga services.

  • Auckland–Wellington rail.

  • Christchurch–Dunedin rail.

  • Freight-network investment.

  • Rail electrification.

  • New Zealand ownership.

  • Rail-enabled ferries.

Aviation

Opportunity has not released a detailed aviation policy for the 2026 election.

Its wider policies have relevance to aviation through:

  • Energy security.

  • Climate policy.

  • Regional access.

  • Infrastructure planning.

  • Competition.

  • Tourism.

  • Innovation.

The party should clarify its position on:

  • Regional air services.

  • Airport ownership.

  • Airport expansion.

  • Sustainable aviation fuel.

  • Aviation emissions.

  • Pilot and engineer shortages.

  • New aircraft technology.

  • Airport public-transport connections.

  • International air links.

  • Regional-route subsidies.

Maritime Transport and Coastal Shipping

Opportunity has not published a comprehensive maritime or coastal-shipping policy.

Its infrastructure, climate, energy and competition policies could affect:

  • Ports.

  • Cook Strait ferries.

  • Coastal freight.

  • Maritime workforce development.

  • Ship emissions.

  • Regional port infrastructure.

  • Supply-chain resilience.

  • Port ownership.

The party’s Healthy Oceans policy focuses on environmental and economic opportunities within the marine environment but does not substitute for a detailed maritime-transport programme. (opportunity.org.nz)

Opportunity should clarify:

  • Its preferred Cook Strait replacement programme.

  • Whether ferries should remain publicly owned.

  • Whether rail-enabled vessels are required.

  • The role of coastal shipping.

  • Port investment.

  • Maritime emissions.

  • New Zealand-crewed shipping.

  • Dry-dock and ship-maintenance capability.

Resource Management Reform

Opportunity supports completing the replacement of the Resource Management Act to make project approvals faster and simpler. (opportunity.org.nz)

The party’s position appears to support planning reform while retaining long-term environmental and public-interest objectives.

A full policy should explain:

  • Which parts of the current replacement programme it supports.

  • How environmental limits would operate.

  • How local communities would participate.

  • How Te Tiriti obligations would be protected.

  • How infrastructure designations would be approved.

  • Whether nationally important projects would receive accelerated decisions.

  • How appeals would be managed.

  • How landowners would be compensated.

Practical Infrastructure Planning

During the Transport 2026 interview, Dave Bainbridge-Zafar discussed the gap between high-level transport plans and practical daily operation.

He agreed that planning can overlook requirements such as:

  • Passenger loading areas.

  • Accessible drop-off.

  • Hotel and venue access.

  • Coach parking.

  • Freight access.

  • Servicing.

  • Turning space.

  • Safe street operation.

These issues may appear minor compared with a motorway or rail line.

However, they affect how cities function for:

  • Tourism.

  • Events.

  • Schools.

  • Businesses.

  • Disabled passengers.

  • Deliveries.

  • Group travel.

Bainbridge-Zafar argued that councils should consult transport users and operators earlier rather than attempting to solve practical access problems after streets and developments have been designed.

This is attributable interview commentary rather than a separately published Opportunity policy.

Transport 2026 Interview with Dave Bainbridge-Zafar

Transport 2026 has completed an interview with Opportunity candidate Dave Bainbridge-Zafar.

The discussion covered:

  • Universal free public transport.

  • Infrastructure asset management.

  • Road-user charges.

  • Electrification.

  • Energy generation.

  • Charging infrastructure.

  • Procurement.

  • Competition.

  • Local government.

  • Maintenance.

  • Urban planning.

  • Loading and parking access.

  • Long-term infrastructure certainty.

Bainbridge-Zafar said he had helped write the party’s free-public-transport policy.

He also emphasised:

  • Practical infrastructure delivery.

  • The need to maintain assets.

  • Grid and charging capacity before rapid electrification.

  • Stronger competition oversight.

  • Procurement that recognises wider value.

  • Earlier engagement with the people who use transport infrastructure.

Interview statements should remain clearly separated from formal party policy.

Where Opportunity publishes matching commitments, the relevant sections of this page will be updated.

Previous Party Policy and Historical Context

Opportunity has developed from the political movement previously widely known by the acronym TOP.

Earlier party platforms also supported:

  • Taxing land rather than work.

  • A universal income.

  • Greater housing supply.

  • Long-term infrastructure planning.

  • Public-transport investment.

  • Climate action.

  • Evidence-based policy.

  • Reduced political short-termism.

The 2026 platform retains many of those structural themes but presents them through revised policy packages and new leadership.

Earlier policy should be retained as historical context where useful but should not be substituted for current 2026 commitments.

What Has Been Announced for the 2026 Election?

Opportunity’s main current transport and infrastructure commitments include:

  • Making all public transport free to users.

  • Establishing a 30-year infrastructure framework developed through the Infrastructure Commission.

  • Significantly increasing public infrastructure investment.

  • Providing additional infrastructure funding to local government.

  • Completing Resource Management Act replacement.

  • Using user-pays and value capture where appropriate.

  • Introducing national asset-management standards.

  • Protecting maintenance and renewals within the infrastructure pipeline.

  • Increasing renewable generation capacity by up to 30 gigawatts by 2050.

  • Electrifying public-transport systems.

  • Accelerating business EV uptake through depreciation and FBT changes.

  • Ringfencing state electricity-company profits for energy transition.

  • Using increased national savings capital to support infrastructure and productive investment.

  • Using citizens’ assemblies to help resolve long-term political disagreements.

The party has also completed a direct Transport 2026 interview through Dave Bainbridge-Zafar.

What Is Still Unclear Ahead of the Election?

Opportunity still needs to provide detailed policy on:

  • The annual cost of free public transport.

  • Which services would be included.

  • How councils and operators would be reimbursed.

  • Public-transport service-capacity funding.

  • Rural and regional transport.

  • Urban rapid transit.

  • Major road projects.

  • Road maintenance.

  • Road safety.

  • Fleet-wide RUC.

  • Congestion charging.

  • Tolling.

  • Rail.

  • Aviation.

  • Coastal shipping.

  • Cook Strait ferries.

  • Public versus private transport operation.

  • Infrastructure debt.

  • Value-capture design.

  • Local-government funding.

  • EV incentive eligibility.

  • Heavy-vehicle electrification.

  • Te Tiriti and infrastructure planning.

  • The role of KiwiSaver funds.

  • How the 30-year infrastructure plan would remain democratically accountable.

  • Who serves as the party’s formal Transport spokesperson.

Transport Spokesperson: Current and Historical

Dave Bainbridge-Zafar

Dave Bainbridge-Zafar is the most transport and infrastructure-relevant Opportunity figure directly engaged by Transport 2026.

His background includes infrastructure asset management, local government and major public-sector infrastructure.

He should not be described as Opportunity’s formal Transport spokesperson unless the party confirms that appointment.

Qiulae Wong

Qiulae Wong is the party leader and the main national figure responsible for Opportunity’s overall 2026 programme.

Her professional background connects business, climate transition, investment and sustainability.

Daniel Eb

Daniel Eb is deputy leader and a significant figure in Opportunity’s regional, rural, food and economic policy.

Frequently Asked Questions – Opportunity Transport Policy

Who leads Opportunity?

Qiulae Wong is party leader and Daniel Eb is deputy leader.

Who is Opportunity’s transport spokesperson?

The party does not currently prominently identify one formal Transport spokesperson. Dave Bainbridge-Zafar is the most transport-relevant candidate interviewed by Transport 2026.

What is Opportunity’s main transport policy?

Its clearest transport commitment is making all public transport free to users.

Would all public transport be free?

The policy states that all public transport would be free to users. The party has not yet published a detailed definition showing whether regional, interregional and specialist services would be included.

Would commercial intercity coaches be free?

Opportunity has not clarified whether commercial interregional services would be included.

How would free public transport be funded?

Opportunity argues that productivity, health and congestion benefits would offset the cost over time. It has not yet published a final annual funding and reimbursement model.

Would free public transport help rural communities?

Not directly where no public-transport service exists. Opportunity acknowledges this limitation and has not yet released a complete rural-transport policy.

What is Intergenerational Infrastructure?

It is Opportunity’s policy for a 30-year infrastructure framework, greater public investment, local-government funding, asset-management standards and reduced political cancellation.

Does Opportunity support user-pays infrastructure?

Yes. It supports user pays and value capture where appropriate, although detailed tolling and charging policy has not yet been published.

Does Opportunity support road-user charges?

Dave Bainbridge-Zafar expressed broad support for more universal RUC during his Transport 2026 interview. A formal detailed party policy has not yet been published.

Does Opportunity support congestion charging?

The party has not announced a specific congestion-charging scheme. Its support for user-pays infrastructure suggests it may be open to the tool under appropriate conditions.

What is Opportunity’s road policy?

The party has not released a project-by-project road programme. It proposes assessing infrastructure through a long-term independent framework.

Does Opportunity support rail?

Rail could form part of its free-public-transport and long-term infrastructure policies, but a detailed passenger and freight rail programme has not yet been released.

What is Opportunity’s EV policy?

It supports accelerated depreciation and a temporary fringe-benefit-tax exemption for business EV purchases.

How would transport electrification be supported?

Opportunity proposes a major expansion of renewable electricity generation and specifically supports electrifying public-transport systems.

What is the party’s 2050 energy target?

It proposes adding up to 30 gigawatts of renewable electricity generation capacity by 2050.

What is Opportunity’s Tax Reset?

It combines a Citizen’s Income, a Land Value Tax and compulsory KiwiSaver 2.0 contributions.

How is the Tax Reset connected with infrastructure?

Opportunity says a larger national savings pool could support infrastructure and productive investment, while land taxation could reduce speculation and encourage more efficient development.

Does Opportunity support public ownership of transport?

The party has not published a complete position on public versus private operation. Its current emphasis is on free access, competition, long-term funding and effective delivery.

Has Opportunity released a complete transport manifesto?

No. It has several substantial transport-related policies but has not yet published a single document covering all transport modes, projects and funding decisions.

Contact and Interview Status

Transport 2026 has completed an interview with Dave Bainbridge-Zafar.

Opportunity will be invited to:

  • Review the factual record.

  • Correct errors or omissions.

  • Confirm its formal Transport spokesperson.

  • Define the services included in free public transport.

  • Provide the annual cost and funding model.

  • Explain how service capacity would increase.

  • Release its rural and regional transport policy.

  • Provide its road and rail priorities.

  • Explain its positions on RUC, tolls and congestion charging.

  • Publish its aviation and maritime policies.

  • Clarify the role of private transport operators.

  • Explain how the 30-year infrastructure framework would be governed.

  • Provide its first-term transport delivery timetable.

Any attributable response or formal policy document will be incorporated into a future update.

Related Transport 2026 Pages

Transport 2026: New Zealand’s Transport Outlook
The main overview page for Kiwi Coaches’ Transport 2026 project, bringing together election context, industry pressures, infrastructure issues, and the key transport debates shaping New Zealand ahead of the 2026 General Election.
https://www.kiwicoaches.co.nz/transport-2026-nz-transport-outlook

Transport 2026 News
The live news, commentary, and analysis page for the Transport 2026 project, covering fuel prices, transport politics, infrastructure developments, operator issues, and wider election-related transport stories.
https://www.kiwicoaches.co.nz/transport-2026-news

Transport 2026: Infrastructure Tracker
A factual tracker of major transport and infrastructure projects across New Zealand, helping separate what is funded, under way, delayed, proposed, or politically announced ahead of the election.
https://www.kiwicoaches.co.nz/transport-2026-infrastructure-tracker

ACT New Zealand – Transport Policy 2026
Kiwi Coaches’ overview of ACT’s transport and infrastructure direction, including funding reform, user-pays principles, tolling, infrastructure planning, and current party transport leadership.
https://www.kiwicoaches.co.nz/act-new-zealand-2026-transport

Green Party – Transport Policy 2026
A summary of the Green Party’s current transport direction, including public transport, rail, active modes, emissions reduction, and the party’s wider approach to mobility and access.
https://www.kiwicoaches.co.nz/green-party-transport-2026

National Party – Transport Policy 2026
An overview of National’s current transport and infrastructure direction, including delivery priorities, major projects, economic growth, and the government’s broader transport approach.
https://www.kiwicoaches.co.nz/national-party-transport-2026

New Zealand First – Transport Policy 2026
A Kiwi Coaches profile of New Zealand First’s transport direction, with attention to regional access, practical delivery, accountability, and current transport-relevant leadership.
https://www.kiwicoaches.co.nz/nz-first-transport-2026

Labour Party – Transport Policy 2026
Kiwi Coaches’ current overview of Labour’s transport position, including public transport, infrastructure funding, rail, integrated planning, and the party’s likely transport priorities heading into the 2026 election.
https://www.kiwicoaches.co.nz/labour-party-2026-transport

Te Pāti Māori – Transport Policy 2026
A page exploring Te Pāti Māori’s transport relevance through the lenses of access, regional fairness, infrastructure, whānau wellbeing, and community outcomes.
https://www.kiwicoaches.co.nz/te-pati-maori-transport-2026