Road cone crackdown gathers pace

The Government is fixing the basics by taking another step to end New Zealand's overuse of road cones, with councils from today required to adopt a common-sense, risk-based approach to temporary traffic management, Transport Minister Chris Bishop says.

Local roads are owned and maintained by councils, but the Government invests more than $1 billion each year in council transport projects through the National Land Transport Fund. 

“Too many councils still require contractors working on local roads to follow an outdated, overly-prescriptive Code of Practice for temporary traffic management,” Mr Bishop says.

“This 500+ page behemoth of a document specifies in detail the exact spacing required between road cones, among many other requirements. 

“NZTA has shown you don't need armies of contractors painstakingly measuring the gaps between road cones like butlers setting the table at Buckingham Palace. 

“Instead, NZTA now uses practical guidance that requires contractors to assess the actual risks at each site and choose traffic management that's appropriate for the job, rather than following a one-size-fits-all rulebook.

"The results speak for themselves. NZTA's spend on temporary traffic management fell by around $46 million in the last financial year while maintaining safe worksites.

“Some councils have also made good progress toward adopting the more pragmatic approach to temporary traffic management. 

“Chocolate fish go to Whangarei District Council, Auckland Transport, Hamilton City Council, Tauranga City Council, New Plymouth District Council, Porirua City Council, Marlborough District Council, Tasman District Council and Christchurch City Council.

“But for all the other councils, this is where the rubber hits the road.

“From today, if councils want National Land Transport Funding for their local transport projects, they will need to use the same common-sense approach that's delivering results on the state highway network.

"Safety will always come first. But there's a world of difference between sensible safety measures and treating every suburban pothole like a motorway reconstruction project.

"The benefits go well beyond fewer cones.

"Contractors can focus on managing the real risks at each site, instead of following a one-size-fits-all rulebook. That means more efficient worksites, fewer unnecessary traffic management measures, and less disruption for motorists.

"Road workers deserve to go home safely at the end of every day, and motorists deserve traffic management that's proportionate to the job being done.

"That's exactly what this new approach helps deliver."

Notes to Editor: 

The transition to the New Zealand guide to temporary traffic management (NZGTTM) is well underway across NZTA, councils, the Department of Conservation and the utilities sector.
All councils and the Department of Conservation submitted transition plans to NZTA by December 2025. All new contracts must use the NZGTTM from 1 July 2026, with existing contracts transitioning by 1 July 2027.
NZTA's Road Controlling Authority Temporary Traffic Management Centre (RTTMC) supports implementation across the state highway network, with 85 per cent of applications now using the risk-based approach.
NZTA's temporary traffic management spend on the state highway network reduced by approximately $46 million between the 2023/24 and 2024/25 financial years. ...