All “Roading” topics

New Zealand’s transport infrastructure is under increasing strain, from aging assets and climate resilience challenges to surging freight demands and limited public funding. With more than $600 million invested annually in road maintenance alone, the question facing infrastructure leaders is clear: Are we investing wisely enough to build the resilient, efficient networks our economy demands?

Around the world, many nations are grappling with the question of how to replace or supplement petrol taxes. The need is pressing. However, the correct, new, way to have the public pay is unclear. What should petrol taxes be replaced with, and how should a jurisdiction go about doing so? What are the options, and what defines a good replacement?

Touted as a one-stop shop, the Government’s Fast-track Approvals Bill was introduced under urgency in March 2024 to try and establish a permanent regime that streamlines the approval process for infrastructure and development projects of significant regional or national importance.

New Zealand’s approach to road construction has long been dominated by asphalt, but as infrastructure demands evolve, the question of long-term cost-effectiveness and sustainability has become increasingly pressing. Recognising the need for a thorough analysis of concrete pavement as an alternative, Concrete NZ commissioned Infometrics Ltd to reassess the case for concrete roads.

In 2016, a socio-acoustic survey was conducted in Auckland that considered the exposure response functions of people exposed to road-traffic and railway noise. A second socio-acoustic study in 2021 aimed to define and quantify the responses to short-term and long-term transportation noise exposure from road traffic, railways and aircraft.

The Government’s new National Land Transport Programme (NLTP) could easily have been renamed the “highway funding project”, given its intense focus on road building. Released this month, the plan outlines funding priorities for the next three years. If it comes to fruition, much of the spending will be driven into major highway schemes, and steered away from sustainable transport alternatives for the main cities. 

Cyclone Gabrielle caused widespread damage and disruption to most parts of New Zealand, resulting in the closure of many of the country’s main highways and significantly impacting the local economy. In the weeks and months that followed, many businesses suffered from delays and supply chain disruptions, with the rebuilding work still underway, even now.

When a national state of emergency was declared on Tuesday 14 February due to Cyclone Gabrielle, more than 30 sections of state highway were completely closed to traffic, impacting a significant proportion of the roading network serving Northland, Auckland, Coromandel, Manawatu, the Central Plateau, Gisborne and Hawkes Bay. Several months on, it’s clear just exactly how much Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency (Waka Kotahi) and local councils are facing as they look to restore the damage and upgrade infrastructure.

When Cyclone Gabrielle hit the North Island earlier this year, the strong winds and widespread flooding caused major disruption to the roading networks and core services throughout the Hawkes Bay, Auckland and Northland regions. In many regions key transport routes were completely cut off, isolating communities and hindering access to vital services. This created immense challenges for emergency response teams, as well as for residents attempting to evacuate or seek assistance. The disruption to the roading network also had significant economic consequences, impacting transportation of goods and services, and causing delays in supply chains.

Cyclone Gabrielle claimed the lives of 11 people, described as the worst weather event of this century. It devastated Hawke’s Bay, causing unprecedented damage to lives and livelihoods. There was also a loss of life to the north, in Tairawhiti, while two volunteer firefighters died in a Muriwai landslide. But while life has returned to normal for many in Hawke’s Bay, many thousands of others across the region still face a long and difficult journey to return to some semblance of normality.

Local Government New Zealand (LGNZ) commissioned a report by one of the country’s leading economists, Brad Olsen, analysing the country’s transport funding trends. It has revealed the share of investment in road maintenance and improvements has reached the lowest levels in more than 10 years.

The quality of New Zealand’s roads and the infrastructure we drive over have been top of mind for many frustrated drivers of both small and commercial vehicles. However, there may be smoother roads ahead thanks to a $400 million funding boost.

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Successive governments have failed to plan where quarried materials will come from for New Zealand’s roads and buildings.