Fewer kilometres of road will be rebuilt in the district this year, despite the council stumping up an extra $1 million.

There will be 8.9km of sealed road rehabilitation completed in the 2023/24 work programme.

That’s down on the 13.8km completed last year and it’s due to a simple fact- “less money”, Ashburton District Council roading manager Mark Chamberlain said.

Ashburton’s road maintenance contractors HEB told the council in February that the district has 1613km of sealed roads that are designed to last 25 years, and that there should be around 60km of road rebuilt each year.

But the average over the past 12 years has been around 10km.

That leaves the council with the big question of how to catch up on an overdue 600km and counting, without having to add adding $1m or more extra in rates each year.

The Government has been increasing its investment into local roads every year but “the costs are rising faster” to the point where they have doubled in a matter of years, Ashburton Mayor Neil Brown said.

“A few years ago it was about $150,000 per kilometre of new road and today it's $250,000 per km."

Councils across the country are planning their submission towards the next National Land Transport Programme (NLTP) funding round, and there will be a push for a bigger investment in road rehabilitation.

The Government Policy Statement on Land Transport is expected to be announced today, which sets the Government's priorities for land transport investment over the next decade. Brown hoped there would be some positive news around a funding boost.

In the meantime, the council has a roading rehabilitation budget for 2023/24 of $3.1m, infrastructure and open spaces group manager Neil McCann, said.

That consists of the subsidised $2.1m, which is 51% funded by Waka Kotahi, and the council’s additional $1m.

Rehabilitation sites 2023/24

- Thompsons Track

- Ealing Montalto Road

- Seafield Road

- Lismore Mayfield Road

- Tinwald Westerfield Mayfield Road

- Tramway Road

- Maronan Road

- Chalmers Ave roundabout at Beach Rd

- Chalmers Ave roundabout at Walnut Ave/Bridge St/Albert St

By Jonathan Leask