Highway funding petitioned

A petition that could drive a referendum on the state of New Zealand’s roads is being circulated through council offices. Spearheaded by New Plymouth District Council, the petition calls for a citizen-initiated referendum to address funding shortfalls for state highway maintenance. Petition organisers are aiming to capture the signatures of 10 per cent of the New Zealand electorate to trigger a non-binding referendum.

The idea for the petition was discussed by mayors at the Local Government NZ Conference in Christchurch in July. The petition asks: “Should the New Zealand government fund road maintenance at levels sufficient to reverse the current decline in the average age and condition of our national state highway network?” The petition is now available for the public to sign at council service centres.