The government is setting an expectation for potholes to be fixed within 24 hours of them being reported - halving the existing standard response rate.
It's targeting 95 percent of potholes on high-volume or national state highways to be repaired within 24 hours, and 85 percent on regional highways.
Transport Minister Simeon Brown made the announcement in Auckland on Friday, saying the government "inherited a significant backlog of road maintenance across the network".
"We are now catching up on the maintenance deficit to ensure that Kiwis and freight can get to where they need to go, quickly and safely. "
Simeon Brown. Photo: Calvin Samuel / RNZ
An increase in the frequency of inspections would allow for faster identification and repair, Brown said, calling on the public to help identify potholes.
He said NZTA would be taking a far more "rigorous" and "proactive" approach to monitoring potholes, with daily calls set up with contractors across the country.
"Currently, they receive that information at the end of the month, they'll receive that information on a daily basis."
Brown said this was not only about faster response times, but NZTA "holding contractors accountable for this increased investment".
NZTA transport services general manager Brett Gliddon said they introduced the 24-hour repair from 1 July, and they were seeing "good results already."
"Potholes are appearing constantly, there's not a backlog in the system, but we are focused on making sure we get out and fix them within the 24 hours."
Contractors will use new innovation to repair the potholes, such as prefabricated mats, rather than placing cold mix (asphalt) in the hole.
These mats have the same properties as sealed roads and bridges, and will prevent water getting into the road pavement.
Brown says this will "ensure that temporary pothole repairs last longer before a permanent reseal can take place".
"Achieving these targets will reduce the number of potholes on our roads, and the use of premium materials, innovative technology, and increased resources will prevent potholes from forming again in the same location."
Brown was expecting an increased number of kilometres of rehabilitation and resealing on an annual basis to improve the quality of roads at the same time.
"Yes, we need to be fixing them faster, but we also need to improve the asset management and maintenance of our roading network."
