Abstract | A tipping point for action

In 2015 New Zealand generated around 40 million tonnes of aggregate of which 18 million tonnes were used for road construction. High quality aggregate (sealing chip and base course) is a fundamental input into the construction and maintenance of New Zealand’s state highway and local road network. There have recently been instances where premium aggregate has been transported large distances from quarry to construction site. Increasing distances transporting aggregate has a large impact on fuel use, CO2 emissions and cost. The Transport Agency considers aggregate and fill material within its contracts – however the percentage of recycled materials used by the Transport Agency hovers at around 1% or less of all mineral materials used.

Aggregate resource efficiency is a wicked problem that the Environment and Urban Design Team have been trying to address for a long time – however we have struggled to get others on board. We are now however seeing a tipping point – where even the Transport Agency Board is interested! So what has changed? And how are we tackling this multi-disciplinary, multi-agency and national issue.

What has changed is the realisation that we need to future proof core inputs for infrastructure construction. There are also huge cost implications with the cost of transporting aggregate doubling every 30km of haul distance (Aggregate Quarry Association, 2017).

Confirming an evidence base and what the key issues are is our first challenge. We have found that what has helped is working collaboratively across the business, wider government, and also with research providers such as Auckland University and Austroads. The journey of how we have gained increasing traction to this WICKED issue will be relevant to many as they look to address other WICKED issues that are complex and multidisciplinary.

Bio | Helen Lane

Helen joined the Transport Agency in January 2008. Since then she has held a number of positions including Principal Advisor roles in both the Planning and Environment and Urban Design Teams. She has also assisted as a Programme Manager for Investment Decision Making.

Prior to working for the Transport Agency Helen worked as a Transportation Policy, Projects and Development Control Manager (acting) and Local Implementation Plan (statutory transport plan) Co-ordinator at the London Borough of Hillingdon in the UK.

Between 2002 and 2004 she was part of a team at the Ministry for the Environment helping draft a national policy statement for biodiversity. Helen enjoyed helping establish the economic costs of preservation of biodiversity on privately owned land and working in a dynamic policy setting.

Helen holds a Master of Management degree endorsed in economics. Her Master’s thesis looked at Managing Biodiversity on Privately Owned Land and New Zealand’s policy approach. She lives in Wellington with her husband and two young children, where any spare time is spent renovating their 1910 villa.