Across government and healthcare, we know there are dedicated people working hard to manage their fleets and assets.

Yet New Zealand ranks fourth-last in the OECD for public asset management¹ - the result of decades of underinvestment, ageing fleets, and fragmented records. Without complete visibility or reliable data, it’s difficult to make informed, strategic decisions.

To drive meaningful change, organisations need to uncover inefficiencies, improve utilisation, and build a clearer picture of their fleets — creating the foundation for lasting improvement.

Government’s need for data-driven asset management

The New Zealand Government’s Draft National Infrastructure Plan calls for smarter investment, future-focused resilience, and improved infrastructure stewardship. It reflects a growing recognition that data-driven asset management isn’t just a compliance task - it’s a strategic imperative.

For government agencies and public organisations - especially councils and publicly funded entities like health services - embracing a data-led approach to fleet and asset management is no longer optional. It’s essential for unlocking long-term public value, improving sustainability, and ensuring every dollar is spent where it delivers the greatest benefit to communities.

The challenge: underutilisation, aging fleets, and poor visibility

New Zealand ranks fourth to last in the OECD for public asset management¹, and the consequences are clear: reactive maintenance, poor asset utilisation, and high long-term costs. Many agencies report non-compliance with Cabinet expectations regarding asset registers, depreciation funding, and asset management plans.

The result? Strategic investment is frequently sidelined by the need to ‘keep things running’.

The impact on fleet operations

• The average government fleet contains 21% surplus vehicles, with some organisations reaching as high as 37%².
• Light vehicles over 15 years old make up around 39% of New Zealand’s national fleet, contributing to higher emissions and running costs³.
• EV adoption is stalling after the removal of incentive schemes, despite public sector decarbonisation targets.

At the same time, agencies face increased service demand, budget constraints, and mounting pressure to meet both climate and economic outcomes. For operational and executive leaders, the question is no longer whether to act, but how to act effectively.

The policy shift: new procurement rules and rising expectations

Proposed policy reforms include introducing an “economic benefit test”- requiring agencies to demonstrate how procurement decisions support New Zealand’s broader economic goals.

While these changes reduce red tape and favour local suppliers, they also introduce uncertainty. Without clear mandates, agencies must now balance short-term budget pressures with long-term sustainability and risk outcomes. This makes accurate, timely data more valuable than ever - especially when justifying fleet investment, managing operational risk, and optimising resource allocation.

The solution: strategic asset management built on data

At Smartrak, we help government and healthcare organisations transition from reactive, fragmented asset management to insight-driven management.

Our pool car booking (PoolCar) and telematics solutions modernise fleet and asset operations - supporting government expectations around compliance, reporting, and sustainability, including reporting to gain insights on FBT, maintenance, optimisation, budget allocation, and emissions.

With Smartrak, you can:

• Build a single source of truth for all assets, including age, utilisation, maintenance history, and location
• Identify and retire surplus vehicles, to right-size fleets, and reallocate resources to priority areas
• Enable pool booking and automated scheduling to increasing utilisation
• Monitor driver behaviour, safety, and lone worker risks, with real-time GPS, alerts, lone worker safety devices, and reporting
• Support electrification by making EVs just another pool vehicle - with real-time battery charge visible from back at the office, and EV bookings automatically shuffled to meet trip demands based on battery charge
• Provide evidence through reporting for funding bids, budget justifications, or policy compliance

Healthcare and government organisations can move beyond compliance and unlock real, measurable public value.

Addressing emissions, without the guesswork

While the removal of EV mandates introduces a risk of stagnation, Smartrak’s emissions reporting provides a way forward. Smartrak’s Emissions Report offers a simple, automated way to track your fleet’s greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs) for all vehicle types. By combining verified vehicle emissions profiles with real-time telematics data, it delivers accurate, standards-aligned reporting - no spreadsheets required.

This empowers COOs, CFOs, and asset managers to:

• Build evidence-backed cases for EV investment or lower-emitting vehicles
• Avoid overcapitalisation by targeting the right vehicles for replacement
• Identify underutilised assets that can be retired or redeployed
• Plan EV charging infrastructure

For example, health fleets operating in rural regions can use Smartrak to determine which vehicles and locations are best suited for EV transition, while ensuring continuity of service.

Fleet safety and staff wellbeing

Health and safety is a top concern across government sectors - especially in mobile and remote workforces such as health, social services, or infrastructure maintenance, where staff may work in rural locations or engage with members of the public in unpredictable or sensitive situations.

Smartrak supports a proactive safety culture with:

• Real-time driver tracking, and Driver Identification
• In-vehicle duress buttons and Lone Worker Personal Safety Devices
• Crash Detection and Rollover vehicle alerts
• Driver behaviour scoring and overspeed reporting to encourage safer driving habits

These features reduce risk, support lone workers, and provide auditable data for health and safety reporting - meeting and exceeding regulatory requirements.

Partnering for a smarter, more sustainable future in the public’s interest

Smartrak has a proven track record supporting councils, health boards, and government agencies. We understand the strategic and operational challenges you face - and we have the solutions to help you meet them.

From pool vehicle optimisation to vehicle tracking, to budget tracking, EV planning, and lone worker safety, our solutions are built for the unique demands of the public sector.

Contact us today

Whether you're looking to consolidate your asset register, optimise fleet usage, or plan for the future, Smartrak is ready to help.

New Zealand Government building photo by twinkledee.