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Federated Farmers infrastructure spokesman Mark Hooper.
Federated Farmers says the Government’s latest investment in road resilience is a positive step toward protecting rural communities and freight routes from increasing severe weather events.
Mark Hooper, Federated Farmers' infrastructure spokesperson, says additional funding for vulnerable rural roads has long been needed.
"Federated Farmers has been calling for more funding for rural roads and key regional freight and access routes," Hooper says.
Transport Minister Chris Bishop and Finance Minister Nicola Willis say communities vulnerable to severe weather and natural hazards will benefit from major new investments announced in Budget 2026.
“The Budget invests in stronger infrastructure, better hazard information, smarter emergency management systems, and improved financial preparedness,” Nicola Willis says.
“We can’t stop severe weather events from happening, but we can be much better prepared for them," she says.
Chris Bishop says funding of $400 million has been set aside for state highway resilience projects to help keep critical routes open during and after severe weather events.
“We know where many of the weak points on the network are," Bishop says. "This investment allows us to strengthen them before roads fail, rather than repeatedly paying to rebuild them afterwards."
Projects funded through the resilience package include improvements on:
“These are roads that communities, freight operators and tourists rely on every day. When they close, the impacts are felt far beyond the immediate area," Bishop says.
Hooper says investing in preventative resilience measures is more cost-effective than repeatedly repairing infrastructure after floods and storms.
"This is in line with the truism that ‘a stitch in time, saves nine’. Building in better resilience ahead of the next flood or storm makes sense," he says.
"We can’t continue to see communities like the East Coast or Golden Bay cut off every time a major rain event occurs."
Ultimately, however, if experience shows a route or piece of public infrastructure continues to be highly vulnerable to weather events, investigation and funding of alternatives is needed.
"The cost of repeated highway and rural road patch-ups quickly mount.
"As the Infrastructure Commission has pointed out, New Zealand needs an agreed, prioritised 30-year pipeline of infrastructure upgrading to build and retain a skilled workforce," Hooper concludes.
Central Otago District Council (CODC) has voted against a plan to spread treated sewage sludge from Cromwell and Alexandra on farmland near Lauder, a decision Federated Farmers says reflects strong opposition from rural residents.
Federated Farmers has called on Central Otago District Council (CODC) to drop or vote down a plan to truck sludge from Alexandra and Cromwell to farmland near Lauder, warning it would compound an "outrageous" situation created by a separate council's decision weeks earlier.
Federated Farmers says new legislation replacing the Resource Management Act will cut red tape, unlock investment and help grow New Zealand's export-led economy, after the Planning Bill and Natural Environment Bill passed their third reading in Parliament yesterday.
Leading figures from the major political parties will be questioned on their primary sector policies at the Rural Issues Debate at Mystery Creek Events Centre, Hamilton, on 30 September.
Will the good times last? That's one of the key issues to come out of the latest Federated Farmers confidence survey.
Waikato milk processor Tatua has again declared a record milk payout to farmer shareholders, leaving other processors in the dust.
A Labour-led Government won’t be bringing back the controversial freshwater rules of 2020.
National’s much-touted free trade deal with India featured in the Rural Issues Debate at Mystery Creek, Hamilton on Wednesday night.
New Zealand's 2026-27 freshwater fishing season has opened, with anglers encouraged to head to rivers and lakes over the coming days as conditions look favourable across much of the country.
Central Otago District Council (CODC) has voted against a plan to spread treated sewage sludge from Cromwell and Alexandra on farmland near Lauder, a decision Federated Farmers says reflects strong opposition from rural residents.
Pāmu has released its FY26 Integrated Annual Report, reporting a Net Operating Profit of $113 million, more than double the $49 million recorded in FY25.
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