The Government’s road cone hotline is officially one of the Government’s most absurd wastes of public money.
“Not only was it virtually unused, but the Government also couldn’t say how many cones it resulted removing,” said Labour transport spokesperson Tangi Utikere
“One objective the Government had was the removal of non-compliant cones, but 93 percent of call outs had cones used perfectly. Who would have thought.
“By November 2025, there were on average fewer than 20 valid complaints per week nationwide.
“As of 30 September 2025, the Government had spent $148,545 on the hotline, or $136.15 for every one of the 1,091 complaints logged to that point.
“Now that Chris Bishop and Brooke van Velden have completed their performative battle with the cones, it’s my hope not a single road cone is on top of a tree, on the head of a statue, or a single centimetre out of place over summer.
“Rest in peace road cone hotline, you will not be missed,” Tangi Utikere said.