A Palmerston North resident has taken the pothole crisis into his own hands by filling some with concrete on a local road, angering the city council.
Palmerston North City Council said they're aware a member of the public went around filling potholes with concrete on Tuesday on Richardsons Line, near Palmerston North Airport.
"These potholes were already scheduled for repair and as a result of what happened, Fulton Hogan has urgently reinspected them today," Palmerston North City Council said in a Facebook post on Wednesday.
But it's not good news for local ratepayers who'll pay the cost of the repairs required.
"We now must remove the concrete before starting proper repairs at extra cost to all ratepayers," the council said.
"We're really disappointed this happened - it's both illegal and dangerous. Richardsons Line is made of chipseal, so adding concrete patches is like mixing oil with water - they are not designed to work together."
The council said they understand it's frustrating when potholes aren't repaired urgently, but they have a very specific process they and Fulton Hogan need to follow.
"If you have concerns, please report them on our Snap Send Solve app or call our contact centre 06 356 8199."
But locals disagreed with the council, commenting on the Facebook post with one saying "I bet their fix lasts longer than Fulton Hogan's".
The council responded to the comment by saying, "Not when we're having to remove it so it doesn't compromise the road and cause a road safety issue when it cracks and breaks up onto the road".
Another person commented saying, "Looks like they did a great job actually" but the council hit back again replaying, "it's already started cracking".
Another person wrote, "So just to confirm - if members of the public fill them with cement, council will urgently have them fixed? Excellent!"
Potholes have been in the headlines recently, with people across New Zealand slamming the sorry state of the country's roads.
"Our roads are in the worst condition that many people have ever seen," said Automobile Association road safety spokesperson Dylan Thomsen.
"There is a range of factors playing a part in that but the biggest one is that there hasn't been enough investment going into road repairs and maintenance for many years," he told Newshub last month.
An East Coast man has made light of the current state of many of New Zealand's roads - sending his 10-year-old son into one for a "swim".
Ian Newman shared the video on social media, showing the boy popping his head from inside the pothole - clearly big enough for a 10-year-old child to sit in - donning a snorkel.
Transport Minister Michael Wood said the last National Government's lack of spending on road maintenance was partly to blame for the state of New Zealand's transport network.
"We've completed significant [roads] like the Waikato Expressway which comes through to Cambridge," Wood told AM on Friday. "The reality across our land transport system is we have a lot of pressures in terms of the investments we got to make."
