- Hon Chris Bishop
The Government's commitment to get New Zealand's roads back on track is delivering strong results, with around 98 per cent of potholes on state highways repaired within 24 hours of identification every month since targets were introduced, Transport Minister Chris Bishop says.
"Increasing productivity to help rebuild our economy is a key priority for our Government, and boosting pothole repairs and prevention will deliver a safe and efficient state highway network that will support this growth.
"One of the reasons this Government was elected was because people were fed up with the degradation of our roads under Labour. They could see it in their day-to-day lives, with record numbers of potholes peppering highways across the country. Our Government promised change to Kiwis and the freight sector, and we are delivering on that promise.
"To sort out the potholes, we established a $3.9 billion Pothole Prevention Activity Class over three years, ringfenced for resealing, rehabilitation, and drainage maintenance works to ensure these funds are used entirely on preventing potholes. The NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) is now delivering a significant programme of works, including a record increase in road rehabilitation, which involves rebuilding entire sections of road rather than just resealing.
"The Government's Pothole Prevention Fund is delivering a total of 285.6 lane kilometres of rehabilitation work over the summer months - a 124 per cent increase compared to last year. This record level of rehabilitation work will help prevent potholes from forming in the first place.
"The previous government showed Kiwis that throwing more money at a problem is lazy, expensive, and ineffective. Funding must be paired with increased expectation and accountabilities, and that is what we've introduced to drive better results. Faster pothole repairs are improving the safety and maintenance standards on our roads."
In July last year, the Government introduced targets for NZTA contractors to repair 95 per cent of potholes on main state highways and 85 per cent of potholes on regional state highways within 24 hours of identification.
"The results speak for themselves. Since our targets were introduced, NZTA has delivered every month with greater use of new innovations to ensure that temporary pothole repairs last longer before a permanent reseal can take place, instead of simply placing cold mix in potholes," Mr Bishop says.
"Achieving these targets month after month shows the significant progress we've made in tackling the pothole issue. Kiwis can now travel more safely and efficiently on our roads, with fewer disruptions and safety hazards.
"If you see a pothole on the state highway network, report it immediately by calling 0800 4 HIGHWAYS. Together, Kiwis are ensuring that potholes are identified and repaired as quickly as possible."
Notes to editor:
- NZTA has delivered on the Government's 24 hour pothole repair targets each month since they were introduced, exceeding the targets set in July.
| Month | Total Potholes Repaired | % Repaired Within 24 Hours |
| Jul-24 | 7,114 | 95% |
| Aug-24 | 6,303 | 98% |
| Sep-24 | 5,030 | 98% |
| Oct-24 | 4,809 | 98% |
| Nov-24 | 3,200 | 99% |
| Dec-24 | 1,697 | 98% |
Potholes tend to be formed in wet conditions, which is why there are a higher number requiring repair in winter months.
- The Pothole Prevention Activity Class includes $2 billion of funding for State Highway Pothole Prevention over three years, and $1.9 billion for local road Pothole Prevention over three years.
- The number of kilometres of rehabilitation work on state highways as part of the 2024/25 summer maintenance programme compared to the previous programme:
- The summer maintenance programme began in October 2024 and will be completed by March 2025.
