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.
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
Capitalism is a funnel.