Councils in cyclone-hit regions staring down a decade-long roading recovery say they simply cannot afford it.
Emphasis mine.
The duration of the remedial works is the problem more than the cost.
If it takes a decade to recover from an event that is likely to reoccurr more frequently then it’s a losing game.
It’s a shame that local and central government in NZ just can’t/won’t maintain infrastructure.
We can afford it, we’ve just decided as a country that landlord taxcuts and untaxed capital gains are more important.
Capitalism is a funnel.
And specifically for roads, light vehicles (cars, utes) can only subsidise the damage heavy freight does so much before folks start to notice.
https://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO2212/S00111/trucks-do-the-most-damage-on-our-roads-but-pay-the-least-towards-fixing-them.htm