New Zealand is closing its road-cone hotline after a six-month pilot, citing mixed results and criticism over its $148,545 cost.

New Zealand is ending its road-cone hotline early after a six-month pilot, with officials saying it successfully gathered public feedback and identified that many councils were not following updated risk-based safety guidelines, leading to excessive cone use. While 86% of site inspections found compliance, the government emphasized the need for all councils to adopt the new standards by July 2027 to receive funding. Critics, including the Labour Party, labeled the $148,545 initiative a waste of money, noting most complaints involved compliant cone use and the program delivered little measurable impact. The hotline will close on December 19, 2025.