Source: New Zealand Transport Agency
NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA) is welcoming the sentencing of South Island car dealer Hamish Gardyne yesterday (9 September 2025) for dishonestly claiming the Clean Car Discount (CCD) rebate.
Appearing in the Dunedin District Court, from a starting point of two years and 10 months imprisonment, he was sentenced to nine months and two weeks home detention, and 200 hours community work. To arrive at the sentence, District Court Judge D Robinson considered the seriousness of offending and the scale of the fraud.
NZTA National Manager Road Safety Regulations Brett Aldridge says sending a very clear message to the wider industry that this type of behaviour is unacceptable is a priority for NZTA.
“This sentencing was the result of many months of meticulous work. The scale of this fraud is significant, and this sentence should send a strong warning to anyone considering fraudulent activity in the vehicle industry – NZTA will investigate and prosecute when we find breaches,” says Mr Aldridge.
The Clean Car Discount rebate could be claimed from April 2022 to December 2023 by low emission vehicle owners. Dealers were only allowed to claim a rebate for cars they registered to themselves and used as a company car, courtesy car or demonstration vehicle for at least three months.
Between March and April 2023, Mr Gardyne applied to get rebates on 119 Nissan Leaf vehicles, claiming they were demonstration cars. The rebate for a Nissan Leaf would be of $3450 per vehicle amounting to a total claim of $410,550.
Concerned about the number of claims for demonstrator vehicles from Mr Gardyne’s company, HVS (Hamish Vehicle Sales Ltd), NZTA began an investigation. The investigation found that his claims were false, and that he had already sold and exported 90 of these vehicles to Australia.
NZTA recovered the one claim paid out to Mr Gardyne, who later also withdrew his other 118 claims through his lawyer.
