Work category 121: Environmental maintenance

Introduction

This work category provides for the routine care and attention of the road corridor to maintain safety, aesthetic and environmental standards.

This definition applies to the 2012-15 NLTP.  For the 2015-18 NLTP please refer to the updated definition for work category 121.

Examples of qualifying activities

Examples of qualifying activities include, but may not be limited to:

• snow clearing and ice control
• vegetation control
• litter collection on rural roads
• removal of, and protection against, graffiti on road structures
• maintenance and removal of effluent from stock-truck effluent disposal facilities – see Stock-truck effluent facilities
• any special treatment of run-off from the road to maintain water quality
• sweeping loose chip and detritus from road intersections
• removal of rocks and minor slip material from the road or catch fences
• maintenance of rest areas
• maintenance of protection planting, including maintenance pruning
• non-recoverable costs arising from clearing the carriageway of damaged vehicles, crash debris and spillages that are not the responsibility of emergency services, and
• non-recoverable costs associated with removal of abandoned vehicles from road reserves.

Other potential activities that are not in the above list should be discussed with the NZTA for eligibility.

Exclusions

This work category excludes:

• Aesthetic treatments (such as flower gardens) on berms, shoulders, medians and traffic islands – these are not eligible for funding assistance.
• Maintenance of the area between the kerb and the road reserve boundary in urban areas – this is not eligible for funding assistance.
• Control of noxious plants declared in terms of the Bio-security Act 1993 within the road reserve – this is not eligible for funding assistance unless it is included in a regional pest management strategy agreed by the NZTA as applying to road reserves.

Funding assistance rate

The usual funding assistance rate is:

• the Approved Organisation’s base rate
• the Approved Organisation’s special purpose roads rate, and
• 100 percent for the NZTA (state highways).

Vegetation control

Vegetation control of roadside berms, medians and traffic islands is eligible for

funding assistance subject to the following conditions:

• In urban areas, grass cutting to lawn standard or maintenance of alternative low-cost ground cover treatments in medians and traffic islands is accepted.
• In rural areas, maintenance and grass cutting of roadside berms and unsealed shoulders may only be sufficient to ensure:
  • adequate visibility
  • general safety
  • drainage
  • the elimination of a fire hazard or pest refuge.