The share of transport funding set aside for roads has dropped to a decade-low, even as more people use New Zealand’s roading network, according to analysis obtained by Newstalk ZB.
It comes as Local Government New Zealand (LGNZ) pleads for extra cash to boost the country’s roads, and the National Party accuses the Government of spending money on an “agenda that’s trying to force people out of cars”.
Transport Minister Michael Wood has defended the numbers, saying the total amount going into roads, including maintenance, has increased significantly.
“Equally, we have to invest in other modes to give people real transport choices”, he said.
An Infometrics review of Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency and Stats NZ data has found that, since 2012, money for road improvements and maintenance has averaged at 78 per cent of total transport funding, with a high of 83 per cent in 2014.
