The poor state of this district’s roads will become a serious indictment on central and local government if the outcome of a review of our transport needs this year does not see a large financial commitment and action to start remedying the situation.
They are already under increased scrutiny because the first ever partnership between a council and the New Zealand Transport Agency, Tairawhiti Roads, appears to be failing due to underfunding. Compounding its inability to carry out needed repairs is a failure to even communicate after road problems are called in, according to frustrated Ngatapa residents at a meeting on Thursday night.
Efficiency gains in the vast Network Outcome Contracts that began in October 2015 delivered savings to local and especially central government — $4.6 million over five years for the council and $12.1m for the NZTA, on contracts worth a combined $130m — and now a worsening road network.
One indication of that is reports from log truck operators that their costs have gone up 10 to 15 percent in the past year because of increased wear-and-tear, due to deteriorating road conditions.
One of the key “efficiencies” in the NOCs is an allowance to stretch repair and maintenance work, meaning jobs build up more in an area and can be combined. Not surprisingly that is proving to be a false economy.
