Responsible spending a must: Wood
WELLINGTON: Transport Minister Michael Wood has conveyed his expectations over the importance of ‘‘responsible and proportionate spending’’, after his ministry spent $10,000 on two large red prop ‘‘zeros’’.
Waka KotahiNZ Transport Agency spent $4885 per number earlier this year.
The props — which glow red and stand about shoulder height on Mr Wood — were part of the agency’s Road to Zero campaign.
Their purpose is to promote the campaign at events and at roadshows.
National transport spokesman Simeon Brown said the props were a ‘‘ridiculous’’ waste of money.
He said it was emblematic of a Government ‘‘addicted to spending’’.
‘‘They don’t care that this was money raised by [taxing] motorists, who are paying exorbitant amounts of money through fuel taxes at the pump.’’
Mr Wood said the $10,000 bill was a small part of the wider Road to Zero public awareness campaign and the props were being used at events, conferences and workshops across the country.
‘‘However, I also believe it is important that all spending Waka Kotahi undertakes as part of this campaign should be responsible and proportionate.’’
He said the agency should, at all times, consider whether spending like this was good value for money.
‘‘My office conveyed my view by email to Waka Kotahi on my behalf after I was advised of the costs of these props.’’
Almost $200 million has been earmarked to get New Zealand to try to achieve zero road deaths or serious injuries by 2030.
About $85 million of that has been allocated to advertising activities alone.
Mr Brown said New Zealanders did not need millions of dollars spent on telling them not to die on the road.
‘‘What our state highway network needs is for its potholes to be fixed. It needs better maintenance and for dangerous intersections to be fixed — not the Government telling us what we should be doing on the road and what their policies are.’’ —