A Northland pensioner is cheering a toll refund from NZ Transport Agency but still thinks the government agency should have done the right thing in the first place. 

Brett Jacobson, from Kerikeri, was incorrectly charged for use of the Northern Gateway toll road on January 23 and was only refunded after queries from the Northern Advocate. 

The charge was for his Holden Rodeo ute, which was being towed to the Hamilton address of its new owner. 

When Jacobson received a toll payment reminder email from NZTA Waka Kotahi, it told him to pay the $2.60 fee “now to avoid further fees”. 

He decided to pay the charge so it would not escalate, with a $4.90 administration fee added on if not paid within 10 days. Drivers can also face a $40 infringement fee, debt collection and prosecution if tolls continue to not be paid. 

But Jacobson also queried the charge, asking if he should have been tolled if the vehicle was being towed on a trailer. 

The email correspondence led to NZTA admitting towed vehicles do not incur the toll – only the towing vehicle is charged. 

But the collections officer said since Jacobson had already paid the toll, he had accepted responsibility for it and the $2.60 charge could not be reversed. 

Jacobson thought the response was “rubbish” and contacted the Northern Advocate to see if any other toll-payers had been caught out and “fobbed off” in the same way. 

“It’s not a huge amount but, in principle, I shouldn’t have been charged, they should be able to say, ‘here’s your money back’ or something to take care of the mistake.” 

Brett Jacobson says the $2.60 toll charge is small change but the principle of a government department acting correctly is important. Photo / NZME 

After the Northern Advocate made inquiries, NZTA admitted it made two mistakes, first by incorrectly picking up the towed vehicle as a toll road user, then providing Jacobson with the wrong information. 

He was entitled to a full refund, which was processed on Monday. 

Staff have been reminded of the importance in providing accurate information to tolling customers, NZTA said in a statement. 

“NZTA apologises to Mr Jacobson for any inconvenience and stress caused.” 

Jacobson, who only learned of the refund through the Northern Advocate, said it was fantastic news. 

He was disappointed NZTA had not “done the right thing” earlier. 

“They’re a government department and should lead by example. 

“I gave them every chance to do the right thing and they admitted it [the toll charge] was wrong.” 

From the $2.60 toll, $1.46 goes towards debt repayment (principal and interest), 80c on operating costs and 34c on GST, according to information from NZTA. 

The Northern Gateway toll road has collected $207 million in tolls from mid-2008 to June 2024. It still has $186m in remaining debt. 

Denise Piper is a news reporter for the Northern Advocate, focusing on health and business. She has more than 20 years in journalism and is passionate about covering stories that make a difference.