38451 (2025). Tangi Utikere to the Minister of Transport

38451 (2025). Tangi Utikere to the Minister of Transport: What evidence, if any, does he have to support his claim that $778 million was spent on road cones alone in a three year period?

Hon Chris Bishop: NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA) has spent $786 million on temporary traffic management services for state highways between 2021/2022 and 2023/2024. This figure was included in the Q1 report provided to the then Minister of Transport in late 2024. I refer the Member to the attached excerpt of the Q1 report. NZTA, like other Road Controlling Authorities, procures Temporary Traffic Management as a comprehensive service—covering planning, approvals, and operational delivery. The total expenditure of $786 million reflects the full cost of this end-to-end service, not just for road cones alone.