The PoO team has been reminded that the Romans built an extensive, durable, and standardised network of roads that spanned the entire Roman Empire from Britain to the Middle East.
Whether the Romans used public-private partnerships is not mentioned in the history books we consulted, which is a pity, because we were hoping for a clearer explanation of the PPP concept than the one provided to The Post by Let’s Get Things Done Faster Minister Chris Bishop.
What we do know is that the Roman roads were built in layers:
What we do know is that the Roman roads were built in layers:
- A foundation of levelled earth and crushed rocks for stability.
- A layer of gravel or crushed rock mixed with lime mortar.
- A surface layer of precisely laid blocks of gravel, stone, or volcanic lava.
Crowned surfaces and ditches ensured proper water drainage and prevent erosion.
The durability of these ancient roads meant that many segments remained in use for centuries after the fall of the Roman Empire.
Remnants can still be found in various parts of the former empire, including in Britain
In contrast, the troubled Transmission Gully motorway has been open for business for just three years.
And – guess what? – a two-summer resurfacing programme has been announced, because the original chip seal surface and drainage design can’t cope with high traffic volumes and heavy freight.
The Post reported on Thursday:
Just three years after its grand opening, the $1.25 billion Transmission Gully motorway is set for major resurfacing and rebuild works – but Waka Kotahi cannot yet say what the repairs will cost, or who will pay.
The transport agency confirmed about 20 lane kilometres of State Highway 1 north of Porirua will undergo resurfacing, drainage upgrades, and rebuilds during the summer maintenance season, from October to March.
Transmission Gully had been dogged by disputes, delays and cost overruns since construction began, The Post said.
Although it finally opened in March 2022 after years of setbacks, insiders revealed the motorway failed to meet contract standards, with surfacing and safety barriers among the major concerns.
A Public-Private Partnership (PPP) had been set up to build the 27-kilometre motorway in 2017.
The Government’s partner was Wellington Gateway Partnership, a consortium which would design, construct, finance, and then operate and maintain the motorway for 25 years.
Wellington Gateway Partnership had hired CPB and HEB to construct the road.
In a report next day, The Post reported more about the highway’s shortcomings:
The original chip seal surfacing has not held up under heavy traffic and freight loads.
Mark Owen, Waka Kotahi regional manager, said the drainage was worse than anticipated, with water seeping in through the chip seal layers and subsoil drains, leading to potholes.
“We’re a bit surprised that the drainage maybe not as good as we thought it was going to be, so water has got in … That’s why we need to go in there and really belt and braces, address the vulnerable areas, put the drainage right, and then come back with good surfacing. Our aim is to move from chip seal to a more sturdy, stronger, better ride asphalt surface.”
The Post inevitably sought some explanations from Transport Minister Chris Bishop.
The resurfacing and the secrecy around costs and legal settlements put Transport Minister Chris Bishop under pressure to explain how future PPPs will avoid similar problems and protect taxpayers.
National campaigned on building 15 new four-lane highways and Bishop has stressed he wants more private sector financing to pay for major projects.
In a statement he said two independent reviews on the project had informed the Government’s revised PPP framework, released in November 2024.
So far so good.
But then:
“PPPs when done well can drive better performance with a stronger focus on whole of life outcomes,” he said.
“New Zealand’s PPP approach has a strong focus on greater outcomes rather than lower cost. This is achieved through the strict use of a ‘willingness to pay’ affordability threshold … [a benchmark price that determines if a PPP will deliver value for money compared to a traditional, non-PPP approach].
“This means that any PPP proposal is expected to and must be able to outperform the counterfactual of non-PPP infrastructure delivery for a commensurate net present cost. This will continue in the new framework.”
Bring back the Romans, we say.
And let them translate Bishop’s bollocks into Latin.
There’s a chance – albeit remote – the Latin version might be more readily digested than Bishop’s statement.
Bob Edlin is a veteran journalist and editor for the Point of Order blog HERE. - where this article was sourced.
The durability of these ancient roads meant that many segments remained in use for centuries after the fall of the Roman Empire.
Remnants can still be found in various parts of the former empire, including in Britain
In contrast, the troubled Transmission Gully motorway has been open for business for just three years.
And – guess what? – a two-summer resurfacing programme has been announced, because the original chip seal surface and drainage design can’t cope with high traffic volumes and heavy freight.
The Post reported on Thursday:
Just three years after its grand opening, the $1.25 billion Transmission Gully motorway is set for major resurfacing and rebuild works – but Waka Kotahi cannot yet say what the repairs will cost, or who will pay.
The transport agency confirmed about 20 lane kilometres of State Highway 1 north of Porirua will undergo resurfacing, drainage upgrades, and rebuilds during the summer maintenance season, from October to March.
Transmission Gully had been dogged by disputes, delays and cost overruns since construction began, The Post said.
Although it finally opened in March 2022 after years of setbacks, insiders revealed the motorway failed to meet contract standards, with surfacing and safety barriers among the major concerns.
A Public-Private Partnership (PPP) had been set up to build the 27-kilometre motorway in 2017.
The Government’s partner was Wellington Gateway Partnership, a consortium which would design, construct, finance, and then operate and maintain the motorway for 25 years.
Wellington Gateway Partnership had hired CPB and HEB to construct the road.
In a report next day, The Post reported more about the highway’s shortcomings:
The original chip seal surfacing has not held up under heavy traffic and freight loads.
Mark Owen, Waka Kotahi regional manager, said the drainage was worse than anticipated, with water seeping in through the chip seal layers and subsoil drains, leading to potholes.
“We’re a bit surprised that the drainage maybe not as good as we thought it was going to be, so water has got in … That’s why we need to go in there and really belt and braces, address the vulnerable areas, put the drainage right, and then come back with good surfacing. Our aim is to move from chip seal to a more sturdy, stronger, better ride asphalt surface.”
The Post inevitably sought some explanations from Transport Minister Chris Bishop.
The resurfacing and the secrecy around costs and legal settlements put Transport Minister Chris Bishop under pressure to explain how future PPPs will avoid similar problems and protect taxpayers.
National campaigned on building 15 new four-lane highways and Bishop has stressed he wants more private sector financing to pay for major projects.
In a statement he said two independent reviews on the project had informed the Government’s revised PPP framework, released in November 2024.
So far so good.
But then:
“PPPs when done well can drive better performance with a stronger focus on whole of life outcomes,” he said.
“New Zealand’s PPP approach has a strong focus on greater outcomes rather than lower cost. This is achieved through the strict use of a ‘willingness to pay’ affordability threshold … [a benchmark price that determines if a PPP will deliver value for money compared to a traditional, non-PPP approach].
“This means that any PPP proposal is expected to and must be able to outperform the counterfactual of non-PPP infrastructure delivery for a commensurate net present cost. This will continue in the new framework.”
Bring back the Romans, we say.
And let them translate Bishop’s bollocks into Latin.
There’s a chance – albeit remote – the Latin version might be more readily digested than Bishop’s statement.
Bob Edlin is a veteran journalist and editor for the Point of Order blog HERE. - where this article was sourced.
6 comments:
And people, impatient with being stuck in traffic for 10 mins, want to build a second Mt Vic tunnel in Wellington...light rail to the airport, etc. Imagine the cost blowouts and construction screwups....
How about looking at the Consumers Guarantee Act. The taxpayer should NOT be fitting the bill.
The Romans did not attempt prolonged direct extreme grades requiring sustained high power or braking.. Nor did they have 55 ton vehicles trnsmitting several hundred hp through just two axles. Or a myriad plebs running often trivially about in vast heavy utes and electric vehicles lugging vast batteries. Near all capable of braking and powering to the limit on the long suffering surface
It is definitly not a chip seal ! That is used for lightly trafficked roads and has no physical strength. Transmission Gully would an asphalt layer over a basecourse and subbase. Water shouldn't seep through AC unless it is cracked due to failure beneath it.
Yes the post. A stuff tentacle that continues to prominently use only Maori names for govt departments
Transmission Gully - a tribute to the wonderfulness that is DEI.
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