It’s their road, not ours

The requirement

To bring local communities along on a nationwide programme to prevent deaths and injuries on New Zealand roads.

The challenge

Safe Roads was a $600 million Safe Roads and Roadsides programme of safety improvements (rumble strips, barriers etc) on rural roads. These roads were near people’s homes, farms and workplaces – they drove on them every day and had strong views about change. Crestani was brought in to help smooth the way for safety improvements that could save lives.

Our approach

We developed a community engagement strategy which recognised that taking the time and effort to win the support of the locals was fundamental to the success of the programme.

We recruited a nationwide network of specialists living in the communities they serve. People who would find out what matters to locals, and who would develop relationships.

We developed a project mantra that challenged the attitudes of the infrastructure companies delivering the programme. This recognised the importance of each stretch of road for locals.

It wasn’t a corridor on a highway network, but fundamental to their way of life. In the eyes of the locals, it’s their road, not ours.

We saw community support as much more than a tick box. Our relationships with the community have endured beyond specific programmes.

Results

Safe Roads was a success, improving thousands of kilometres of road as well as making level crossings around the country safer, saving lives and preventing serious injuries. Our approach to engagement was critical to making this happen, gaining community and stakeholder support for change and keeping them updated along the way. Something recognised by the Public Relations Institute of New Zealand (PRINZ) – Crestani won Bronze at its 2020 awards for our work on Safe Roads.