Extract from Autumn 2023 AA Directions article by Matthew Tso: What’s the Problem?

Signs of a maintenance issue years in the making were already beginning to show after 2022 delivered the wettest ever winter in Aotearoa. The issue was identified by the AA long before widespread deterioration became noticeable. But despite the AA’s call for better road maintenance ahead of the 2020 general election, pothole commentary has become something of a national pastime.

What's going on?

The impact on road users varies from an annoyance to a serious safety threat. Potholes can cause damage to tyres and rims, suspension, wheel alignment and windscreens if loose bits of road break away. Vehicles, particularly motorcycles, risk losing control if they hit a pothole - and people swerving or braking to avoid them can also create a dangerous situation. But road maintenance goes beyond just potholes in terms of road safety. Quality road surface provides good grip and traction, reducing the risk of a vehicle losing control; it also provides better stopping ability.

In October last year it was reported that a pothole on State Highway 29 through the Kaimai Ranges in the Bay of Plenty punctured the tyres of up to 30 vehicles in the space of a few hours resulting in a queue of stricken vehicles on the side of the road.

Crash investigators are also looking into the causes of a fatal accident on SH29 the same month; the family of the driver who died believe a pothole was a factor in a vehicle crossing the centreline and crashing headfirst into an on-coming car. The crash left the other driver with serious injuries.

How did we get here?

Stacy Goldsworthy is the technical manager at Civil Contractors NZ, an industry body that represents many of the firms that construct the country's roads. He says potholes are an inevitability, but the rain accelerates the deterioration of roads that are already in a poor state.

Stacy point to the flatlining of spending on maintenance in the mid-2010s setting the wheels in motion for deteriorating roads. Subsequent budgets, he says, have resulted in Waka Kotahi and road contractors fighting losing battles of catch-up in the years since.

As funding plateaued, Stacy says, the then National-led Government allowed heavier 50MAX trucks (up to 53 tonnes) to operate on the roads - the previous limit was 44 tonnes - which put more stress on the roads and hastened deterioration. This claim was also made on Twitter by our current Minister of Transport, Michael Wood.

Nick Leggett, chief executive of Ia Ara Aotearoa Transporting New Zealand which represents the road freight industry disagrees. He says axle configurations spread the weight and payload of a 50MAX truck, causing no more damage than any other truck.

Nick adds that the trucking industry more than pays its way through road user charges, with some businesses paying tens of thousands of dollars to keep a single vehicle on the road each year. However, not enough of this money is making it back into roading.

So, where to now?

While unavailable to provide comment for this article, Michael Wood, in previous discussions with the AA has said the Government was committed to improving roads, pointing to the extra $500 million allocated to repairs across the latest three-year funding cycle.

On social media he has pointed out that expenditure on State Highway maintenance has increased significantly under Labour following 'historic underinvestment by National’.

Nick Leggett says blaming the previous Government doesn't wash. “It’s true the budget issues didn't start under this Government, but they’ve since had half a decade [in power]."

The maintenance budget needs to keep up with inflation, he says. The upkeep costs for roads are up to 50% more per kilometre than a decade ago. Waka Kotahi has also experienced high staff turnover over the last several years and has lost a lot of valuable technical expertise.

Nick suggests now is an appropriate time for a review of the agency’s processes, including its use of materials, approach to work and how maintenance is carried out.

Civil Contractors' Stacy Goldsworthy says better lasting treatments on high-traffic roads would go a long way to shoring up the network. Chipseal is the material of choice for most of New Zealand's sealed roads; it is relatively cheap and suitable for most roads. More expensive structural asphalt offers more durability and smoothness which is better suited to high-use network areas.

Where does the AA stand?

Road maintenance has been on the AA’s radar for a long time; it topped the 2020 Election Calls list of matters needing urgent consideration. Three years on, the situation needs more attention than ever.

Ahead of the last three-year funding cycle, the AA estimated that our roads needed an additional $300 million per annum to catch up on the backlog. The $500m in total announced by the Government was a marked improvement but $400m short of returning the roads to what the AA believes is needed.

A recent survey of our 10,000-person AA Member Panel put fixing road surfaces at the top of the list of potential transport improvements they supported; 85% want more done than the Government's current work.

The cost to individuals is also mounting. Repair shops in places such as Northland and Taranaki have reported big increases of people coming in for tyre and rim repairs, or suspension and alignment fixes - costs that households wouldn't have faced if the potholes weren't there.

The road network is one of New Zealand's biggest assets; roads are like 'shop windows' for regions. It is hard for people to feel good about their area and how they are being served by authorities when they’re driving on neglected roads.

Motorists pay more than $4 billion a year in fuel tax and Road User Charges, the AA says, and safe, well-maintained roads is the least we should expect.