4 April 2023
Harris Leigh
[FYI request #22024 email]
Dear Harris
Thank you for your email of 7 March 2023 requesting information under the Official
Information Act 1982 (the Act) relating to the importance of contractors in delivering road
maintenance in Aotearoa.
For the sake of clarity, I wil respond to each of your questions in turn:
1) Whether the structure of the road maintenance industry means it relies heavily on the
use of contractors
Since the 1980’s, legislation changes required road maintenance to be tendered
competitively across local roads (usually managed by local councils) and state highways
managed by Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency (and its predecessors, Transit NZ and the
National Roads Board). This legislation has been fully enabled since 1991, so for the delivery
of the physical works, contractors are critical in delivering road maintenance in Aotearoa.
2) Whether the geographical spread of demand for road maintenance means that local
contractors are best placed to do urgent maintenance
I have been advised by Waka Kotahi that urgent maintenance (emergency response) is
almost always provided by local contractors either working as the main contractor and/or as
a sub-contractor. The exception to this is when the recovery (such as the Kaikoura
Earthquakes) is of such a size and complexity that it requires a response that needs skil s
and capability that are not available locally. However, in these situations, local contractors
will continue to provide services in this environment as well.
3)
Whether it would be possible to replace the use of local contractors with directly
employed public servants as proposed by the Leader of the Opposition.
As Waka Kotahi is required to ensure all road maintenance delivery is supplied by the private
sector under a competitive procurement method, the possibility of replacing local contractors
with directly employed public servants has not been considered. However, I am aware that
there are stil council owned trading enterprises that contract and compete against privately
owned contractors for road maintenance works (typically in the local roading environment) as
the main supplier and often as a sub-contractor in the state highway environment.
I trust this responds to all of your questions.
Yours sincerely
Hon Minister Wood
Minister of Transport
