Viewpoint – Shift in road funding priorities needed

What is happening about the maintenance of our sealed and unsealed roads? Roads are utilised by buses, cyclists, commercial and private vehicles. Everyone wants to use good quality roads. Yet the number of potholes, uneven surfaces and patchwork fills are more plentiful now than ever before. So why isn’t Auckland Transport able to get on top of properly maintaining our roads?

The answer is relatively simple. Their spending priorities have been weighted more heavily towards providing public transport than towards improving the standard of our driving surfaces. The Government, through the Minister of Transport and Waka Kotahi NZTA, has intentionally set the spending this way. This policy in turn cascades down and sets Auckland Transport’s spending priorities, because NZTA matches Auckland Transport’s ratepayer provided funding, on the proviso the money is spent on the Minister’s priorities.

Translating this into numbers for Auckland, the amount of money Auckland Transport spends on public transport is $655 million a year. The amount of money spent on maintenance contracts is $133 million per annum, or 80% less than what public transport receives. Put bluntly, that is why the roads are in such a poor state.

The problem is compounded at the local level. For example, the ‘Emergency Budget’ saw a decrease in the regional road sealing budget by almost 70% – from $12 million annually down to $4 million, plus a simultaneous decrease in the local gravel road maintenance budget by 18% – from $6.8 million annually to $5.6 million, even though it needs to be $8.8 million annually. The roads are observably going backwards by $3.2 million every year. These cutbacks have also seen degradation of the environment, as failing to correctly maintain the culverts and roadside water-tables is resulting in water overflowing across the roads, causing heavy silt erosion into the waterways.

To counter this, I have been working closely with my colleagues Crs Andy Baker and Mike Lee, who are the two councillors now on the Auckland Transport Board of Directors, in an effort to have Auckland’s rural communities treated more fairly. The Rodney Local Board is an equally strong advocate.

The Local Board also has its own Transport Targeted Rate collecting $4.6 million cash per annum, which it independently administrates. The money is spent on bus services, bus shelters, park and rides and footpaths. The Local Board could ask ratepayers if they would prefer if some of this was spent to top up the road maintenance deficit, or it could divert money into bolstering the road sealing programme.

The important advantage is the Local Board controls this sum of money. Their decisions are not dictated by the Transport Minister. Also, this money is immune from budget cuts because it is a separate targeted rate. This gives the Local Board the freedom to decide how the $4.6 million annually should most appropriately be spent. This same autonomy does not exist for Auckland Transport.
In closing, I look forward to serving you and Rodney’s other wider issues in 2023. May I also take this opportunity to wish you and your family a very Merry Christmas and a safe and enjoyable summer holiday.