Our recommendations

New Zealand Transport Agency: Information and planning for maintaining and renewing the state highway network.

Information on the condition of the state highway network

We recommend that the New Zealand Transport Agency:

  1. as a priority, review its structures inspection policy to ensure that there is a consistent and appropriate approach to the issues and risks associated with tunnels;
  2. as a priority, complete the work it has started to introduce a system for collating and recording information about all structural assets and their condition, and use this information for more formal monitoring of the condition of these assets on a long-term basis as reliable methods become available;
  3. ensure that consultants and contractors provide complete and timely information about maintenance, renewal, and capital works carried out on the state highway network;
  4. refine its asset information over time, ensuring that the information it requires remains useful and cost-effective to collect and maintain, and that the information is as complete and up to date as possible;
  5. make sure that all relevant maintenance and renewal contracts have clear and regular requirements to validate asset information and that these validations are consistently reported;
  6. carry out a full validation check of its asset information about Auckland Harbour Bridge after completing the box girder strengthening project; and
  7. make sure that all consultants and contractors who gather, collate, and maintain information for the Road Assessment and Maintenance Management database are appropriately certified.

Planning for maintenance and renewal work

We recommend that the New Zealand Transport Agency:

  1. clarify and formalise the process and accountabilities involved in determining levels of service for maintenance and renewal work;
  2. continue to actively engage with road users to ensure that its underlying levels of service for pavement maintenance and levels of service for corridor maintenance are informed by road users' needs and in line with their expectations; and
  3. as a priority, finalise the national state highway asset management plan to help ensure consistency in asset management planning and that maintenance and renewal work is focused on the most important strategic priorities.
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