Photo: RNZ / Delphine Herbert

Political parties are hitting the campaign trail in Auckland today.

National is promising to create a $500 million Pothole Repair Fund for repairs to local roads and state highways.

National's transport spokesperson Simeon Brown said Waka Kotahi would be directed to double the current rate of roading renewals so the agency would have to "undertake renewal and rehabilitation work" on at least 2 percent of the roading network each year.

The standard response rate for pothole repairs would be halved from 48 to 24 hours, Brown said.

The pothole campaign cost would be met by re-prioritising spending within the National Land Transport Programme and reducing spending on activities which slowed down traffic such as blanket speed limit reductions, he said.

But Transport Minister David Parker said the pothole campaign fund would raid other road safety funds to fix a problem "that they created themselves".

National chose to freeze road maintenance when it was in government and roads were resurfaced at less than half the rate they should have been, he said.

"This government is spending more on road maintenance, including pothole repairs, than any previous government.

"The current state highway maintenance budget is $2.8 billion for 2021/24 - that's a 65 per cent increase on the $1.7 billion that National spent during 2015/18, when it was last in office."

Photo: Giles Dexter

'In it for you'

Meanwhile, Labour has launched its election campaign, with...

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