New Zealand Road Cone Madness: The $300 Million Regulatory Fix

New Zealanders have joked for years that we have more road cones than sheep, but the actual cost of temporary traffic management is no laughing matter. Across the country, taxpayers and ratepayers are getting hammered by a bloated industry that burns through $300 million every single year on orange cones alone. Auckland Council takes the biggest hit at $145 million annually, while Wellington and Christchurch shell out tens of millions to comply with over-the-top safety regulations. Regulation Minister David Seymour promised to bring common sense back to the roads with new risk-based standards that took effect on July 1. The changes match traffic management to the actual danger, meaning fewer unnecessary restrictions and a massive $50 million saved already. Yet, when David stood up to announce these massive cost savings for everyday Kiwis, the Wellington media bubble completely tuned out. Instead of asking about the infrastructure win, journalists peppered him with irrelevant questions about MPs using private email addresses. We look at the frustration of cutting red tape in a media environment that loves spin more than real-world savings. 00:00:00 - The media ignores David Seymour's road cone changes 00:01:00 - The staggering multimillion-dollar cost of New Zealand's road cones 00:02:00 - David Seymour faces the Wellington media bubble 00:03:00 - Journalists push questions on private government emails 00:04:00 - The Deputy Prime Minister calls out the media's focus 00:05:00 - How the traffic management industry rewarded caution over common sense 00:06:00 - The new risk-based rules and the $48 million saved so far 00:07:00 - Why the traffic management industry isn't cheering for simplicity Join this channel to get access to perks:    / @duncangarnerpodcast   Get in touch with Duncan - [email protected] and join us on the socials. Website: https://www.rova.nz/podcasts/duncan-g... Instagram: @DuncanGarnerpodcast TikTok: @DuncanGarnerpodcast