The AA, Roading New Zealand and the New Zealand Contractors’ Federation are welcoming the just released interim report of the NZTA Road Maintenance Task Force.

The task force has come up with suggestions to reduce the costs and improve the effectiveness of road maintenance in New Zealand.

It is crucial that efficiencies are found in the sector. Future available maintenance funding is predicted to reduce in real terms over the next decade meaning the costs of road maintenance are going to outstrip the available funding without action being taken.

“This is a really challenging issue and we congratulate the taskforce on its work,” says Roading New Zealand Chief Executive Chris Olsen.

“Finding savings is never an easy task but we have to find better and smarter ways of doing things."

“Keeping our roads safe and usable is crucial to our country and we need these Task Force changes to make sure we can keep maintaining the roads to the standard they need to be.”

Some of the key recommendations include more collaboration between different road controlling authorities, having a national system of road classifications to help prioritise roading investment, and smarter asset management practices and ways of using contractors to carry out the work.

AA Motoring Affairs General Manager Mike Noon says the interim recommendations seem to have the support of the road maintenance sector and we look forward to seeing the final recommendations after consultation roadshows are held around the country over the coming month.

“Like many nations all over the world, New Zealand is experiencing tight financial times and these recommendations reflect that we have to get more efficient. Once the final recommendations are made they will need to be urgently implemented to minimise the risk of any road deterioration and to focus funding on key strategic routes."

“Good maintenance is essential to the safety of our roads and the AA has been concerned over the maintenance budget into the future."

“The AA will be monitoring this area closely to make sure our roads are being maintained to the standards they need to be.”

For more information contact:

Mike Noon
General Manager: Motoring Affairs
New Zealand Automobile Association
T. (04) 931 9984
Email: mnoon@aa.co.nz

The New Zealand Automobile Association is an incorporated society with over one million members. It represents the interests of road users who collectively pay over $2 billion in taxes each year through fuels excise, road user charges and GST.

Chris Olsen
Chief Executive
Roading New Zealand
T. (04) 471 1186
M. 027 4477 098
Email: chris@roadingnz.org.nz

Roading New Zealand (RNZ), an incorporated society and a national industry body representing road maintenance, surfacing and civil contractors who build and maintain New Zealand’s transport infrastructure since 1988.

Jeremy Sole
Chief Executive
NZ Contractors’ Federation
T. (04) 4963270
M. 021 777 646
Email: jeremy@nzcontractors.co.nz

New Zealand Contractors Federation (NZCF), an incorporated society and a national industry body comprising the spectrum of road construction, road maintenance, civil, and general contractors since 1944