Pāpāmoa residents opposed to a second toll point on the Tauranga Eastern Link (TEL) will take their protest to the streets on Sunday, with a car convoy planned through the suburb.

The “No 2nd Toll Papamoa” convoy will assemble at The Sands shopping centre carpark from 11.30am before travelling through Pāpāmoa.

Organiser Caroline McNicol said the event was intended to show the Government the strength of local opposition to the incoming $1.10 light vehicle toll from the new Wairākei Interchange in Pāpāmoa East to Domain Rd.

Travelling east from the Wairākei Interchange to Paengaroa will cost $2.30, the same as the cost to travel the full TEL road. Heavy vehicles will pay higher tolls.

“We’re not opposed to toll roads per se,” McNicol said. “We’ve all been happily paying the TEL toll since 2015. We have an issue with it being the entrance and exit to Pāpāmoa [East] town. No other interchange in New Zealand has been targeted with a toll like Pāpāmoa.”

The Government has approved the second toll point, as recommended by the NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA) board, despite public opposition.

NZTA has started building the tolling gantries but has not yet said what date the new tolls will start. It said the move will ensure all users of the toll road contribute to its cost.

Free “No 2nd Toll Papamoa” stickers will be available and participants are encouraged to decorate their vehicles and bring signs. Photo / Kelly O'Hara

McNicol said residents were particularly concerned about the impact on people making daily local trips.

Driving the TEL between Pāpāmoa East and Domain Rd and back would cost $2.20.

Residents also argued the interchange was already partly funded by ratepayers.

Tauranga City Council’s 2026/27 rates included a Pāpāmoa East Interchange – Full Benefit targeted rate of $105.78.

Pāpāmoa ward councillor Steve Morris said there was a strong argument against what he described as “double tolling”.

Motorists who stop off at Wairākei then continue on the TEL would pay $3.40 – more than the $2.30 full road toll.

He acknowledged the Government’s position that motorists using part of a toll road should contribute.

But in that case, he believed people heading east from Pāpāmoa East should pay a partial toll instead of the full toll.

He also believed the toll could encourage motorists to divert on to busy local roads.

McNicol said residents were concerned about extra traffic on Pāpāmoa Beach Rd, Tara Rd and Te Okuroa Drive.

“The interchange was designed to mitigate that traffic congestion,” she said.

A map of the Tauranga Eastern Link Toll Road.

Pāpāmoa Residents and Ratepayers Association president Philip Brown said the association had joined the campaign against the toll.

In a July 31 submission to Transport Minister Chris Bishop, Brown questioned whether the toll represented good value for money, citing an NZTA estimate of $816,000 in additional net revenue in 2035.

In an Official Information Act response to Arataki councillor Rick Curach, NZTA estimated the new tolling infrastructure would cost $3.8 million to $4.3m.

NZTA told Curach the new gantry did not require a business case because Tauranga City Council was responsible for delivering the interchange and NZTA’s role was to install tolling equipment on the existing toll road.

Curach said the response raised questions about the lack of a business case.

Another concern for campaigners was the different treatment of the Rangiuru Business Park interchange on the TEL.

NZTA has said Rangiuru would not be tolled because it was only expected to have 200-300 vehicles a day, making the infrastructure cost unlikely to outweigh the benefits.

Bay of Plenty MP Tom Rutherford said he planned to attend Sunday’s convoy to continue hearing directly from residents about their views.

“The concern I hear frequently is about fairness and the practical impact on people who use these roads for everyday local trips,” Rutherford said.

He said he would continue advocating to ensure those concerns were heard in Wellington.

McNicol said the convoy was intended to be a family-friendly protest, with free “No 2nd Toll Papamoa” stickers available and participants encouraged to decorate their vehicles and bring signs.

The convoy will travel Stevenson Drive, Pāpāmoa Beach Rd, Domain Rd, Tara Rd, Te Okuroa Drive, Pāpāmoa Beach Rd, Parton Rd and Te Okuroa Drive before returning to The Sands.

McNicol said she had also lodged a submission to Parliament calling for the second toll to be removed. The PRRA had also formally opposed the proposal.

An NZTA spokesperson said tolling had enabled construction of the TEL to be brought forward, and helped pay for maintenance and other major infrastructure projects.

The new toll point was intended to ensure all users contributed fairly to the cost of the TEL, no matter where they joined it.

“The principle is that those who benefit from the enhanced connection should share in the cost, rather than relying solely on national funding or placing the burden on existing toll payers.”

Without the second tolling point, some users would not pay despite benefiting from the improved access and travel times.

NZTA said the new tolling point was also part of meeting the Government’s direction for transport infrastructure to be funded sustainably.

Toll roads must have a free alternative, which the TEL had through Pāpāmoa and Te Puke local roads.

An NZTA notice said construction of the new toll gantries, cameras and signage would continue through September, followed by testing and commissioning.

NZTA would provide public notice before tolling begins.