This page relates to the 2024–27 National Land Transport Programme.
This page sets out the requirements for road maintenance programmes which will assist in their development, assessment and prioritisation.
For the purposes of funding through the 2024–27 National Land Transport Programme (NLTP), the road maintenance programme covers all road maintenance, operations and renewal activities proposed to be funded under the relevant activity class definitions and work category eligibility criteria.
Activity classes include:
Local road and state highway operations
Local road and state highway pothole prevention
We (NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA) as investor) expect approved organisations and NZTA (for its own activities) to use a structured and planned approach to road network management. Forward work programmes and budgets for road operations, maintenance and renewals to cater for all modes must:
Approved organisations and NZTA (for its own activities) must be able to demonstrate how the proposed road operations, maintenance, renewal and improvement activities optimise the delivery of customer levels of service on a whole-of-life cost basis for their road networks for all modes.
Details of road operations, maintenance, renewal and improvement activities must be held by the organisation responsible for the programme.
Such evidence for individual sites must be provided on request to demonstrate the value-for-money reasons for selecting the mix, timing of activities and choice for delivery of the activities.
The details to be held by the responsible organisation include, as appropriate:
An AMP prepared by approved organisations and NZTA (for its own activities) is a key supporting document for an investment proposal for National Land Transport Fund (NLTF) investment from either the local road and state highway operations or the local road and state highway pothole prevention activity classes, or the walking and cycling activity class.
Local road and state highway operations
Local road and state highway pothole prevention
AMPs should reflect the expectations of the Local Government Act 2002 (approved organisations) and also meet the expectations set out in the Land Transport Management Act 2003. We consider these AMPs to be the equivalent of a programme business case. The guidance on the role of AMPs in the business case process applies. A well-designed AMP will fulfil the role of both strategic case and programme business case for the road operations, maintenance and renewal programme.
The AMP should be aligned with NZTA investment policy and sector best practice, including appropriate levels of evidence and analysis to support the approved organisation’s submitted programme. At a minimum this includes:
We expect a clear linkage between the recommendations in the approved organisation’s and the NZTA (for its own activities) AMPs, the requested funding and the defined quantities of works for each work category in the road operations, maintenance and renewal programme.
In particular we will consider the robustness and completeness of:
Consideration should be given to changes from national and regional levels of service targets relating to road user satisfaction, safety and asset preservation as set out in the NZTA Maintenance guidelines for local roads or as otherwise agreed with us.
Maintenance guidelines for local roads [PDF, 205 KB]
In particular consider:
Consideration should be given to:
Consider innovation in sustainable practices when selecting materials, maintenance methods and all other inputs to the submitted programme.
In addition to the long-term planning undertaken for the development of programmes, we recognise there may be additional issues that can lead to changes in road operations, maintenance and renewal requirements.
Our investment advisors will discuss these issues as part of the regular liaison with approved organisations and NZTA (for its own activities) to review and optimise programmes and also during the investment assessment and prioritisation process to inform the NZTA approved allocation for each maintenance programme as published in the relevant NLTP.
We determine the 3-year approved allocation for an organisation’s maintenance programme, taking into account regional negotiations, and national benchmarking of performance on both a level-of-service and cost performance basis.
Where approved organisations and NZTA (for its own activities) wish to maintain a maintenance activity to a higher standard than that agreed in the negotiation process, the portion of expenditure receiving funding assistance will be based on the expenditure required to achieve the agreed standards and intervention levels.
Where approved organisations and NZTA (for its own activities) wish to maintain a maintenance activity to lesser standards and intervention levels than NZTA guidelines, funding assistance will be based on the least expenditure. If the lesser standards and intervention levels cause deferred maintenance, we reserve the right to not financially assist any future cost greater than the equivalent least cost on a whole-of-life cost basis.
The information approved organisations are required to provide in Transport Investment Online to support the maintenance, operations and renewals activities is set out in the advice issued through the NZTA investment signals.
