John MacDonald: Here's why we're so bad at road repairs

I’m starting to wonder whether it was just a fluke that we managed to build things like the big hydro dams back in the day without them falling over. Without them falling apart. Cracking under the pressure.  

Because, when you consider achievements like that, it makes it laughable that we don’t seem to be capable anymore of really simple stuff like fixing roads.  

An example is Halswell Junction Road, in Christchurch. Three repairs in the past 12 months and now it needs to be done a fourth time. The local councillor has had a gutsful, and I don’t blame him.  

What are some other examples that show just how average we’ve become? What about that time they flooded Cromwell and created the new lake? Was it just a fluke that we pulled that off without it leaking all over the place?  

The Lyttelton tunnel. How on earth did we do that without it caving in?  

We used to be able to do all those things. These days, we can’t even fix a road properly.  

We can build rockets and send them into space. We can build boats that win the America’s Cup.  

In fact, we’re better at those things than we are at fixing roads. Which is crazy, isn’t it?   

City councillor Andrei Moore is saying today that the repair work on Halswell Junction Road has been sub-standard and parts of it still aren’t level.     

What’s more, people are telling him that their houses are being shaken by traffic more than ever.  

So why’s that, do you reckon? I’ll tell you what I think but, first, here’s the council’s explanation.  

Its head of transport has told our newsroom that the problem with Halswell Junction Road is that it isn’t strong enough for them to use asphalt, and so they have to use chip seal.  

And, obviously, chip seal is hopeless on that particular road - which is a major route.  

The thing is, it’s not just Halswell Junction Road, is it? It seems to be everywhere. All over the place - so-called repairs are being done, over-and-over again.   

Maybe calling them “repairs” is generous, because something is only repaired once it doesn’t need fixing again.    

And do you know why this is happening? It’s easy. She’ll be right.  

This “she’ll be right” attitude is rife everywhere. It’s rife in councils, where the processes they use to hire contractors has become so complex, that once a roading outfit is in the system, they’re pretty much there for life.  

Even if they do cruddy work - they’re in the system, they’ve got a purchase order number, invoicing is all set-up and it's way too much work for the council to find someone who might do the job better.  

And hey, we can still tick things off the to-do list - even if we have to get them back to do it all over again in three months time.   

She’ll be right. The companies that do the actual work. If it doesn’t work first time, we’ll come back and sort it out. Don’t bother telling the council that chip seal is hopeless and we should be using asphalt. Don’t upset the apple cart. She’ll be right. Job for life.  

And you and I, we’re part of the problem too.  

Because, generally, we just shrug our shoulders and put up with this lame she’ll be right attitude when, what we should be doing, is making more of a noise about it.  

And when I say noise, I mean actually putting people into these councils who are prepared to push back when they hear nonsense such as Halswell Junction Road not being strong enough to take the weight of asphalt.  

I’m talking about putting people into councils who will push back at that and say, do something about that. Don’t just keep pouring chipseal. Make the road stronger.  

People who will challenge the way their council monitors performance and quality.  

People who

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the Canterbury Mornings podcast with John McDonald
from newstalk ZB.

Speaker 2 (00:13):
You know, I am starting to wonder whether it was
just a fluke that we managed to build things like
the big hydro dams back in the day without them
falling over, without them falling apart, without them cracking under
the pressure, and needing repairs every three months, Because when
you consider an achievement like that, it makes it absolutely laughable,

(00:37):
doesn't it That we don't seem to be capable any more?
Really simple stuff like fixing roads And an example in
the news today which you would have heard, Hall's wall
junction roade three repairs in the past twelve months. Now
it needs to be done a fourth time and the
local councilor has had a guts full, And I don't

(00:57):
blame them. I don't blame the locals for having a
guts ful either. What are some other examples that show
just to average we have become. Oh, I know, what
about what about the time they've flooded Cromwell and created
the new lake? Was that just a fluke as well?
That we pulled that off without it leaking all over
the place? Littleton Tunnel, how on Earth did we do that?

(01:20):
That must must have been another fluke that we could
build that without it caving in, Sir. We used to
be able to do all these things. These days we
can't even fix a road properly. We can still do
some great things here in New Zealand, we just can't
fix roads. We can build rockets and send them into space.
We can't fix roads. We can build boats that win

(01:43):
the America's Cup, can't fix roads. In fact, we're better
at all of those things than fixing roads, which is crazy.
So city Council and Andre Moore, he says he's become
especially paid off about the situation on Hallswell Junction Road
because three repairs in twelve months haven't been enough, and

(02:05):
a fourth attempt as needed. He's saying today that the
repair work has been substandard and parts of it still
aren't level incredible. Ah. What's more, people are telling him
that their houses are being shaken by traffic more than ever.
So why do you think that is? I'll tell you
what I think the problem is. That what the root

(02:26):
of all this is. But here's the council's explanation. It's
head of Transport has told our newsroom that The problem
with Halls Will Junction Road is that it isn't strong
enough for them to use asphalt, and so they have
to use chipseal, and obviously chipseals hopeless on that particular road,
which is as a major route. A thing is too.
It's not just Halls Will Junction Road is it seems

(02:46):
to be everywhere, all over the place, so called repairs,
so called repairs being done over and over again. I mean,
someone's already been at touched with us this morning about
a street in Richmond and christ Church, same repairs, done
for several years, over and over again. Still a problem.
And maybe calling them repairs is generous because something's only

(03:08):
repaired once, it doesn't need fixing again. A and do
you know why this is happening? It's easy three words.
She'll be right this, she'll be right. Attitude is rife everywhere.
It's rife in councils where the processes they use to
hire contractors has become so complex that once are roding

(03:30):
outfits in the system, tell you what they are in
the system for life. Even if they do craddy work,
they're in the system. They've got a purchase order number.
The invoicing is all set up you know, way too
much work for the councilor to find someone else who
might do a better job, and a you know, you
can take all those things off the to do list,
even if we have to get them back to do
it all over again in three months time. No worry,

(03:51):
we can take it off. And that's what's been happening
on the Halls Will Junction Road. She'll be right. The
companies that do the actual work, she'll be right. Oh,
if it doesn't work first time, we'll come back, boys
and sort it out. Don't bother town on the council
that chips the hopeless, and we should be using our
felt don't don't upset the apple cart, don't rock the boat.

(04:12):
She'll be right. Work for life, and you and I
as well. We're part of the problem too, because generally
we just shrug our shoulders and put up with this thing,
don't we We put up with this lame She'll be
right attitude when what we should be doing is making
more of a noise about it. And when I say noise,
I mean actually putting people into these councils who are

(04:34):
prepared to push back when their hair nonsense such as
Halls Will junction road not being strong enough to take
the weight of osphelt. I'm talking here about putting people
into councils who will push back at that and say, well,
hold on, do something about that. Don't just keep pouring
chips heal make the road stronger. I'm talking about people
who will challenge the way that their councils monitor performance

(04:55):
and quality. People who will do their everything to get
rid of She'll be right, because until that happens, until
everybody ups their game, nothing's going to change and the
same old road repairs are going to continue to be
done over and over and over again.

Speaker 1 (05:14):
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