51757 (2025). Tangi Utikere to the Minister of Transport

51757 (2025). Tangi Utikere to the Minister of Transport: How many, if any, additional staff or contractors have been engaged by NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi specifically for pothole or surface-defect repairs since the launch of the “pothole patrol” initiative?

Hon Chris Bishop: NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi has not directly engaged any additional staff specifically for this initiative. As part of the formal notice to its contractors, contractors were asked to review and adjust their resource inputs to meet the 24-hour repair expectations. The additional cost for responding to potholes within 24 hours is paid as an ‘extra-over’, which means the contractor is still responsible for the majority of the cost through their lump sum payment mechanism.