One of New Zealand's largest membership organisations, with 1.1 million personal members, advocating on transport policy, road safety, fuel costs and RUC reform.
The Automobile Association (AA) is a member-governed incorporated society and one of New Zealand's largest membership organisations. It reports 1.1 million personal members and roadside support for more than one million additional vehicles through business relationships; those business-covered vehicles are not additional members. The AA also delivers driver and vehicle licensing services for NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi, including over-the-counter RUC sales, although that service-delivery role is covered separately under the 'aa' profile. The AA's Transport Policy & Advocacy team maintains relationships with ministers, Members of Parliament, officials and transport-sector organisations, and represents AA positions through submissions, meetings and media commentary. The AA Research Foundation, established in 2011, funds research intended to improve road safety and transport. Its scope broadened in 2023 to include sustainable mobility. Member surveys and commissioned research inform the AA's policy positions. Peter King, a long-serving transport researcher closely associated with the member-survey programme, died in November 2023. On RUC, the AA supports retaining a comparatively simple system that relates charges to vehicle use and road costs. It supports digitising RUC and the legislative groundwork for moving petrol vehicles from fuel excise duty to RUC, while calling for low administration costs, privacy safeguards and stronger compliance arrangements. In 2024 it joined other vehicle-sector groups in seeking lower initial RUC rates for battery-electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles.
The AA makes submissions to Parliament, ministers and government agencies on transport legislation and policy, including RUC, tolling, vehicle standards, road funding and time-of-use charging. Its submissions draw on member surveys, policy analysis and commissioned research.
The AA regularly surveys samples of its members about transport costs, road safety, mobility, enforcement, emissions and alternatives to driving. The results inform its advocacy and published summaries of member views.
Established in 2011 to fund road-safety research, the Foundation broadened its scope in 2023 to include sustainable mobility. Its programmes cover driver behaviour, vehicle and road safety, licensing and other transport issues.
The AA comments publicly on fuel-price movements, retail competition and transport taxes. Its current policy page links to MBIE's weekly fuel-price monitoring; no current evidence was found that the AA itself publishes a weekly price series.
The AA publishes organisational positions on transport planning and funding, road maintenance, public transport, tolling, congestion charging, fuel taxation, sustainability and road safety.
Auckland Automobile Association founded on 26 May by Dr George Thomas Humphrey de Clive Lowe and six others. Canterbury AA founded on 4 September. The AAA issued 'Certificates of Competency' to exam-qualified drivers - pioneering NZ's driver licensing concept.
Roy Champtaloup draws the first official AA road map by hand, having voluntarily erected 70 road signs across Auckland. Appointed AA Touring Manager. Southland AA introduces the first 'first aid car' for roadside assistance.
Wellington Secretariat established for national motoring affairs advocacy, led by George Fairbairn until 2005 - the AA's lobbying cornerstone.
Fifteen independent regional automobile associations complete a decade-long series of mergers under General Manager Brian Gibbons, creating the unified national New Zealand Automobile Association. Combined membership: 600,000.
AA celebrates centenary. Membership exceeds 1 million.
AA Research Foundation established as part of the UN Decade of Action on Road Safety (2011-2020), commissioning independent research on road safety, driver behaviour, and transport.
Simon Douglas joins the AA from Tourism New Zealand to lead the transport policy and advocacy function. AA Smartfuel fuel discount loyalty programme launched (joint venture).
AA Money financial services launched (February), expanding the AA's commercial offering into vehicle finance, savings, and investment.
Brian Gibbons retires after 40 years (CEO since 1990), having grown membership from 600,000 to 1.78 million. Nadine Tereora appointed as the AA's first female CEO (February 2022). Simon Douglas's role expanded to Chief Policy & Advocacy Officer.
AA celebrates 120th anniversary. Peter King, the AA's long-serving transport researcher and architect of the Member Sentiments Survey programme, dies suddenly in November.
AA Smartfuel fuel discount programme discontinued on 31 January after 12 years and $1 billion in fuel discounts. AA joins joint industry submission on EV RUC fairness (with MIA, Drive Electric, VIA, MTA, and Better NZ Trust).
AA backs the government's plan to replace petrol tax with universal electronic RUC but calls for low administration costs, privacy safeguards, and affordable rates for light vehicle owners. Brett Flintoff appointed President (December 2025). AA makes 13 submissions to government including on tolling, RUC, vehicle safety, and time-of-use charging.
Chief Executive Officer
The AA's first female CEO, appointed February 2022. 25+ years in insurance industry: former COO of Partners Life, CEO of Fidelity Life (2016-2020, three consecutive ANZIIF Life Insurance Company of the Year awards), and CEO of Asteron Life (first female CEO of a Suncorp Group company). Succeeded Brian Gibbons who served 40 years.
President
Appointed President December 2025. Retired chartered accountant who operated his own firm for 30 years. Joined the AA Board in 2010. Member of the Southland District Council. Chairs both the AA Board and National Council.
Chief Policy & Advocacy Officer
Joined the AA in 2012 from Tourism New Zealand. Previously held roles at the Ministry of Transport, Ministry of Tourism, and Beca Engineering. Oversees the AA's transport policy, advocacy, and the AA Research Foundation. Also a trustee of SADD (Students Against Dangerous Driving).
Policy Director
Leads AA policy development on RUC reform, fuel pricing, and road funding. Regular media commentator on the financial impact of transport policy changes on motorists.
Principal Policy Adviser
Senior fuel and transport policy adviser. Frequent media spokesperson on fuel prices, RUC costs, and Commerce Commission fuel market interventions. Raised concerns that universal eRUC would be 'hardest to collect and easiest to evade' compared to fuel excise.
Manager: Research, Safety & Communications
The AA's primary road safety spokesperson. Regular media commentator on crash statistics, driver behaviour, and road safety campaigns.
The AA participates in RUC policy as a large motorist membership and advocacy organisation and as an NZTA service agent. AA Centres sell RUC licences over the counter. In policy work, the AA supports a simple distance-based charging system and the modernisation of collection, including removal of paper-display requirements and eventual transition of petrol vehicles from fuel excise duty to RUC. It has also called for low administration costs, privacy safeguards and stronger compliance and enforcement before a fleet-wide transition.
The AA Smartfuel fuel-discount programme closed on 31 January 2024 after Woolworths New Zealand ended its participation ahead of launching Everyday Rewards. The programme reported providing more than $1 billion in fuel discounts during its 12 years of operation.
On 7 October 2024 the High Court ordered AA Insurance New Zealand Limited to pay a $6.175 million penalty for discounting failures and misleading representations. The affected issues totalled about $11.12 million in overcharges. AA Insurance is an independently operated joint venture involving The New Zealand Automobile Association Limited and Vero Insurance New Zealand; it is not the incorporated association itself.
In early 2026 the independently operated AA Insurance joint venture temporarily stopped accepting specified new home, landlord and business policies in Westport because of flood exposure and in Woodend, Rolleston, Lincoln and Blenheim after reaching internal seismic-exposure limits. Existing policyholders were not generally prevented from renewing. These underwriting decisions were made by AA Insurance, not directly by the incorporated association.
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The NZBN is stated in current AA Shop terms. The entity is an incorporated society, so its primary Companies Office record is on the Incorporated Societies Register rather than the Companies Register. Source
NZ Incorporated Society
23 Nov 1915
Level 5, 20 Viaduct Harbour Avenue, Auckland Central, Auckland, 1010, New Zealand
Source: NZ Companies Office · Last checked July 2026
View on Companies Register
