New data reveal that essential workers in certain regions of the country are paying more for fuel than their counterparts elsewhere, raising serious questions about whether government support is being properly targeted.
Simplicity chief economist Shamubeel Eaqub compiled data showing the average commute for workers across key industries nationwide. The findings highlight that healthcare and social assistance workers in Southland, Central Otago, Westland, Hurunui, Kaikoura, Central Hawkes’ Bay, and Wairoa face some of the longest commutes in the country.
Even in Auckland, commutes vary widely. Healthcare workers in Waitemata travel the longest distances, while areas such as Waitakere, Puketapapa, and Whau see much shorter journeys.
For education and training, Hurunui, Central Hawkes Bay, Southland, and Clutha again emerge as areas where workers face significantly longer commutes.
Eaqub noted that the data show how some regions are far more exposed to fuel price rises than others.
“It’s all happening piecemeal… like nurses need help or the fire service needs help, but it’s so specific, and it kind of misses that geographic aspect.”
He emphasised the real-world consequences for essential workers. “Where people can work and live in the same area, that’s awesome. When you can, it’s wonderful. But it’s those people, the nurses, who have to drive for 40 minutes or whatever to get to work every day. That is an unbearable cost and burden on those people.”
The question now is whether support can be targeted more effectively. “How do we get that overlap right? We don’t expect some kind of handout for people to get to work every single day, but people who have to travel for their work and they’re essential, why aren’t they being looked after?”
Otago University economist Murat Ungor agreed that rising fuel prices hit rural areas the hardest.
“Across several districts, the data suggest that essential workers in rural and provincial areas drive more than double the distance of their urban counterparts.”
“For example, essential workers in the Mackenzie District travel an average of 15.8 km, in the Southland District 16.4 km, and in Central Otago 13.7 km, all predominantly rural districts. In contrast, essential workers in Dunedin City travel 6.3 km, in Porirua City 7.1 km, and in Hamilton City 7.2 km. This means an essential worker in Mackenzie or Southland drives more than twice as far as one in Dunedin.”
“Those most critical to the rural economy, particularly agriculture, have the longest commutes, while urban essential sectors such as health and education have shorter ones. In Southland, agricultural workers commute 16.5 km; in Central Otago, 15.8 km; and in Waitaki, 16.0 km. By comparison, in Dunedin City, health care and social assistance employees commute 5.9 km, while in Wellington City, education and training employees commute 7.4 km.”
Ungor also pointed out that essential workers in many areas have no realistic alternative to driving, leaving them fully exposed to fuel price volatility.
“In the Gore District, 82% of essential workers in public administration and safety drive…In Invercargill City, the figure is also 82%. In Hamilton City, 83% of manufacturing workers drive, and in Tauranga City, 81% of transport workers drive. By contrast, in Wellington City, only 27% of essential workers in public administration drive.
“This is perhaps the clearest evidence of geographic inequality. An essential worker in Gore or Hamilton has no choice but to pay whatever the pump price is. An essential worker in Wellington, by contrast, has a viable escape hatch through public transport or walking, insulating them from the worst of the price shock.”
Ungor concluded that fuel vulnerability is not just a rural problem; it is a transport inequality shaped by where people work, how far they travel, and whether they have any realistic alternatives.