A commitment by the Coalition Government to deliver $4 billion of funding for pothole prevention has been welcomed by the road transport industry.

Transport Minister Simeon Brown says the indicative funding levels for the National Land Transport Programme (NLTP) confirmed by NZTA are a record increase in funding to help fix potholes on both State Highways and local roads.

“NZTA has confirmed that over the next three years the agency will deliver a record $2.07 billion for State Highway Pothole Prevention and $1.9 billion for Local Road Pothole Prevention,” Mr Brown says.

“Compared to spend under the last government’s 2021-2024 NLTP, this represents a 91% increase in funding for State Highway Pothole Prevention and a 50% increase in the total funding for Local Road Pothole Prevention.

“We have ringfenced this record investment in the Pothole Prevention Fund to resealing, rehabilitation, and drainage maintenance works to ensure that NZTA and councils get our State Highways and local roads up to the safe and reliable standards that Kiwis expect.

“Our Government has inherited a significant backlog of road maintenance across the network. Last year, over 62,000 potholes needed repair on State Highways around New Zealand. We are now catching up on the maintenance deficit to ensure that Kiwis and freight can get to where they need to go, quickly and safely.

“Indicative funding levels confirmed under our Government provide councils with much needed certainty as they finalise their Long-Term Plans. It will also enable roading contractors to have a clear pipeline of work in our roading network which will allow more investment in the people and equipment needed for its maintenance.”

Both Transporting New Zealand and National Road Carriers Association are fully supportive of the road maintenance investment.

“This in the sort of investment we need to do, and it is good to see this is part of a three-year plan which shows a commitment to better roads. That’s not only good for our members, but it’s good for all Kiwi motorists,” says Transporting NZ Interim CEO Dom Kalasih.

He says a recent study by the Ministry of Transport says heavy trucks cover 76% of their public sector roading costs, the most of all road users.

“Our truckies are more than happy to contribute via road user charges to a system that focuses on keeping the roads up to a high standard,” Kalasih says.

Justin Tighe-Umbers, CEO of NRC says the roads are a workplace for the transport industry, and safety is linked to a quality, maintained road network.

“We are extremely pleased to see this coming through as a priority,” he says.

“Our potholed roads cause millions of dollars of damage to trucks and cause physical and mental health issues for drivers. We know of drivers who have stopped working because of the stress caused by our substandard roads.

“New Zealand has badly potholed roads because road maintenance was previously inadequately funded from pay-as-you-go road user charges levied on trucks instead of being well funded and built as core infrastructure from the outset.

“Until now we funded our roads on a consumption model rather than an investment model, so we were constantly falling behind.

“We like that the Coalition Government has ringfenced the investment in the Pothole Prevention Fund to resealing, rehabilitation, and drainage maintenance works to ensure State Highways and local roads are brought up to a safe and reliable standard.

“Potholes have attracted a lot of unwanted attention over the last couple of years as New Zealanders nationwide have vented their pothole frustrations across every communication medium possible.

“While the frustrations are real, no one could envy NZTA’s growing fix it task on a shoestring budget. Today’s announcement that the Government is delivering on its commitment to boost funding for pothole prevention is welcome relief across the board.”