NZ Herald
  • Home
  • Latest news
  • Herald NOW
  • Video
  • New Zealand
  • Sport
  • World
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Podcasts
  • Quizzes
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Viva
  • Weather

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • New Zealand
    • All New Zealand
    • Crime
    • Politics
    • Education
    • Open Justice
    • Scam Update
  • Herald NOW
  • On The Up
  • World
    • All World
    • Australia
    • Asia
    • UK
    • United States
    • Middle East
    • Europe
    • Pacific
  • Business
    • All Business
    • MarketsSharesCurrencyCommoditiesStock TakesCrypto
    • Markets with Madison
    • Media Insider
    • Business analysis
    • Personal financeKiwiSaverInterest ratesTaxInvestment
    • EconomyInflationGDPOfficial cash rateEmployment
    • Small business
    • Business reportsMood of the BoardroomProject AucklandSustainable business and financeCapital markets reportAgribusiness reportInfrastructure reportDynamic business
    • Deloitte Top 200 Awards
    • CompaniesAged CareAgribusinessAirlinesBanking and financeConstructionEnergyFreight and logisticsHealthcareManufacturingMedia and MarketingRetailTelecommunicationsTourism
  • Opinion
    • All Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Editorials
    • Business analysis
    • Premium opinion
    • Letters to the editor
  • Politics
  • Sport
    • All Sport
    • OlympicsParalympics
    • RugbySuper RugbyNPCAll BlacksBlack FernsRugby sevensSchool rugby
    • CricketBlack CapsWhite Ferns
    • Racing
    • NetballSilver Ferns
    • LeagueWarriorsNRL
    • FootballWellington PhoenixAuckland FCAll WhitesFootball FernsEnglish Premier League
    • GolfNZ Open
    • MotorsportFormula 1
    • Boxing
    • UFC
    • BasketballNBABreakersTall BlacksTall Ferns
    • Tennis
    • Cycling
    • Athletics
    • SailingAmerica's CupSailGP
    • Rowing
  • Lifestyle
    • All Lifestyle
    • Viva - Food, fashion & beauty
    • Society Insider
    • Royals
    • Sex & relationships
    • Food & drinkRecipesRecipe collectionsRestaurant reviewsRestaurant bookings
    • Health & wellbeing
    • Fashion & beauty
    • Pets & animals
    • The Selection - Shop the trendsShop fashionShop beautyShop entertainmentShop giftsShop home & living
    • Milford's Investing Place
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • TV
    • MoviesMovie reviews
    • MusicMusic reviews
    • BooksBook reviews
    • Culture
    • ReviewsBook reviewsMovie reviewsMusic reviewsRestaurant reviews
  • Travel
    • All Travel
    • News
    • New ZealandNorthlandAucklandWellingtonCanterburyOtago / QueenstownNelson-TasmanBest NZ beaches
    • International travelAustraliaPacific IslandsEuropeUKUSAAfricaAsia
    • Rail holidays
    • Cruise holidays
    • Ski holidays
    • Luxury travel
    • Adventure travel
  • Kāhu Māori news
  • Environment
    • All Environment
    • Our Green Future
  • Talanoa Pacific news
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Property Insider
    • Interest rates tracker
    • Residential property listings
    • Commercial property listings
  • Health
  • Technology
    • All Technology
    • AI
    • Social media
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
    • Opinion
    • Audio & podcasts
  • Weather forecasts
    • All Weather forecasts
    • Kaitaia
    • Whangārei
    • Dargaville
    • Auckland
    • Thames
    • Tauranga
    • Hamilton
    • Whakatāne
    • Rotorua
    • Tokoroa
    • Te Kuiti
    • Taumaranui
    • Taupō
    • Gisborne
    • New Plymouth
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Dannevirke
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Levin
    • Paraparaumu
    • Masterton
    • Wellington
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Blenheim
    • Westport
    • Reefton
    • Kaikōura
    • Greymouth
    • Hokitika
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
    • Wānaka
    • Oamaru
    • Queenstown
    • Dunedin
    • Gore
    • Invercargill
  • Meet the journalists
  • Promotions & competitions
  • OneRoof property listings
  • Driven car news

Puzzles & Quizzes

  • Puzzles
    • All Puzzles
    • Sudoku
    • Code Cracker
    • Crosswords
    • Cryptic crossword
    • Wordsearch
  • Quizzes
    • All Quizzes
    • Morning quiz
    • Afternoon quiz
    • Sports quiz

Regions

  • Northland
    • All Northland
    • Far North
    • Kaitaia
    • Kerikeri
    • Kaikohe
    • Bay of Islands
    • Whangarei
    • Dargaville
    • Kaipara
    • Mangawhai
  • Auckland
  • Waikato
    • All Waikato
    • Hamilton
    • Coromandel & Hauraki
    • Matamata & Piako
    • Cambridge
    • Te Awamutu
    • Tokoroa & South Waikato
    • Taupō & Tūrangi
  • Bay of Plenty
    • All Bay of Plenty
    • Katikati
    • Tauranga
    • Mount Maunganui
    • Pāpāmoa
    • Te Puke
    • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Hawke's Bay
    • All Hawke's Bay
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Havelock North
    • Central Hawke's Bay
    • Wairoa
  • Taranaki
    • All Taranaki
    • Stratford
    • New Plymouth
    • Hāwera
  • Manawatū - Whanganui
    • All Manawatū - Whanganui
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Manawatū
    • Tararua
    • Horowhenua
  • Wellington
    • All Wellington
    • Kapiti
    • Wairarapa
    • Upper Hutt
    • Lower Hutt
  • Nelson & Tasman
    • All Nelson & Tasman
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Tasman
  • Marlborough
  • West Coast
  • Canterbury
    • All Canterbury
    • Kaikōura
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
  • Otago
    • All Otago
    • Oamaru
    • Dunedin
    • Balclutha
    • Alexandra
    • Queenstown
    • Wanaka
  • Southland
    • All Southland
    • Invercargill
    • Gore
    • Stewart Island
  • Gisborne

Media

  • Video
    • All Video
    • NZ news video
    • Herald NOW
    • Business news video
    • Politics news video
    • Sport video
    • World news video
    • Lifestyle video
    • Entertainment video
    • Travel video
    • Markets with Madison
    • Kea Kids news
  • Podcasts
    • All Podcasts
    • The Front Page
    • On the Tiles
    • Ask me Anything
    • The Little Things
  • Cartoons
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / New Zealand

Hawke’s Bay pothole damage claims rise after Covid, Cyclone Gabrielle

Hawkes Bay Today
19 Sep, 2023 02:07 AM3 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

    Reminder, this is a Premium article and requires a subscription to read.

Pakowhai Rd suffered a spate of potholes in 2022. Hawke’s Bay has leapt from just two pothole damage compensation claims from its roads annually to 182 annually in the space of three years. Most claimants will struggle to get compensation. Photo / NZME

Pakowhai Rd suffered a spate of potholes in 2022. Hawke’s Bay has leapt from just two pothole damage compensation claims from its roads annually to 182 annually in the space of three years. Most claimants will struggle to get compensation. Photo / NZME

Pothole damage compensation claims have leapt in Hawke’s Bay from two a year to 182 in just the first six months of 2023 - in the space of just three years.

Waka Kotahi’s figures show that there has been one claim a day this year to June 30.

There has been a 9100 per cent spike in claims over that period.

Hawke’s Bay roads are now the second-worst region for potholes behind only the Bay of Plenty.

Hastings driver Glenn Soeberg is one of those waiting to find out if his claim for compensation will be successful.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

In June he was on his way to Hutt Hospital, where his sister was in critical care when he was stranded between Waipawa and Waipukurau after hitting two potholes and damaging two tyres.

He said he initially made a claim for compensation with Waka Kotahi, but they had since referred him to roading contractor Higgins.

He estimates the damage to his tyres and wheel rims meant about $800 in costs.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

He said he had filled out a form and was going to send it off and wait for a response.

" I haven’t heard of anyone else getting paid out,” Soeberg said.

Hastings driver Glenn Soeberg is still waiting to find out if his claim for compensation will be successful two and a half months after two of his tyres were popped by potholes on State Highway 2. Photo / Rachel Wise
Hastings driver Glenn Soeberg is still waiting to find out if his claim for compensation will be successful two and a half months after two of his tyres were popped by potholes on State Highway 2. Photo / Rachel Wise

The Bay of Plenty Times revealed that the stats are dire for those looking to receive compensation for damage caused by potholes.

Only 22 compensation claims have been paid out over three years from August 12, 2020 to August 12, 2023, while there have been 2200 claims made across the country in three and a half years from the start of 2020 to June 30, 2023.

Motorists can request compensation for damage to a vehicle, but Waka Kotahi or its contractors will only pay if they have not taken reasonable care to maintain the state highway network in good condition.

A Waka Kotahi spokesman said in a statement that Covid-19 alert level lockdowns in 2020 would have played a big part in the low number of compensation claims, while the East Coast was hit by a major weather event and a wet winter in 2021 which contributed to the first sharp increase.

The spokesman said Cyclone Gabrielle was a “major contributor” to the number of potholes on the Hawke’s Bay network.

“Since the cyclone, significant and sustained periods of heavy rainfall have also impacted the network. Water is the main contributing factor creating potholes,” he said.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

“It also cut short the scheduled summer maintenance season earlier this year, resulting in fewer sections of the state highway resealed.”

He said Waka Kotahi had been able to secure additional resources from outside the region for pothole repairs in the past few months, ahead of its spring/summer maintenance programme.

“While our road crews are out daily working to fill these holes, we’re also encouraging road users to report the damage they see. Call 0800 4 HIGHWAYS to report issues,” he said.

He said road crews were carrying out “pre-seal” repairs across the network before the summer maintenance programme began.

“Pre-seal repairs include ensuring existing potholes are filled before resealing of state highways begin. Resealing sections of our network is the best way we can prevent cracks and subsequently potholes [from] forming,” he said.

“As the spring/summer maintenance season approaches, the forecast warmer, drier weather will enable us to carry out more permanent repairs on our network.”

Save

    Share this article

    Reminder, this is a Premium article and requires a subscription to read.

Latest from New Zealand

New ZealandUpdated

Kāinga Ora suffers $180m hit as it axes 212 building projects

18 Jun 10:47 PM
New Zealand

Senior first responder accused of exporting, possessing child sex abuse material

18 Jun 10:45 PM
New Zealand

Huinga dairy farmer celebrated at national sustainability awards

18 Jun 10:37 PM

Jono and Ben brew up a tea-fuelled adventure in Sri Lanka

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from New Zealand

Kāinga Ora suffers $180m hit as it axes 212 building projects

Kāinga Ora suffers $180m hit as it axes 212 building projects

18 Jun 10:47 PM

The agency will also offload 20% of its vacant land that is no longer needed.

Senior first responder accused of exporting, possessing child sex abuse material

Senior first responder accused of exporting, possessing child sex abuse material

18 Jun 10:45 PM
Huinga dairy farmer celebrated at national sustainability awards

Huinga dairy farmer celebrated at national sustainability awards

18 Jun 10:37 PM
Family's plea for answers four months after man's death at beach

Family's plea for answers four months after man's death at beach

18 Jun 10:24 PM
Help for those helping hardest-hit
sponsored

Help for those helping hardest-hit

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • NZ Herald e-editions
  • Daily puzzles & quizzes
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP