$1.4 Billion National Ticketing Delay – Another Setback for Taxpayers

The New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union is calling for an end to the 16 year old National Ticketing System (NTS) after the announcement the scheme's full implementation will now be delayed until 2027.

An Official Information Act request has revealed the scheme was reviewed in October 2024 and was deemed well governed and resourced, with feasibility issues deemed resolvable at the time. Yet this latest delay comes with changes to the programme’s governance, leadership, delivery, and decision-making.

Taxpayers’ Union Investigations Coordinator, Rhys Hurley, said:

“Each Kiwi household is having to stump up $650 each for this ongoing fiasco, with costs of $80 million every year. This project is already sixteen years old yet what do we have to show for it?”

“As if that wasn’t long enough it’s now slipped back yet another year. The least the public should expect is a full, unredacted copy of where this all became such a mess in the newest independent review next month”

“More to the point, whoever at NZTA created the October review calling the project “well governed, led and resourced” needs to hang their head in shame.”

“The National Ticketing System needs scrapping, and replaced with a simple, off-the-shelf card payment solution if we’re ever going to put this John Key-era money pit to bed.”