We asked for feedback on our Speed Management Plan, which proposed to lower the speed around several schools, high-priority roads, and rural and urban areas in the Tūtūkākā Coast, Hikurangi, Whananaki and Ōakura.
We wanted to set speed limits that are safer for local conditions and the surrounding environment.
We know that regardless of what causes a crash, the higher the speed the greater the chance of injury or death.
Reducing speed limits makes our roads and communities safer for everyone, whether travelling by car, bicycle or on foot.
The proposed speed limit changes were for the Tūtūkākā Coast catchment area, which includes Tūtūkākā, Ngunguru, Matapōuri, Hikurangi, Whananaki and Ōakura.
Why are we doing this?
We have received multiple requests from the community to investigate speed limit changes in the areas. 101 crashes have been reported in the past five years.
What new speed limits are we proposing?
The speed limit changes we are proposing are based on local road risk profiles and community feedback.
In our urban areas and coastal villages of Ngunguru, Tūtūkākā, Hikurangi, Matapōuri, and Ōakura, speed limits are proposed to be changed to 30km/h and 40km/h to make a safe environment for pedestrians and cyclists.
We are proposing to lower the speeds on all rural roads in the Tūtūkākā Coast area to better reflect the road conditions and surrounding environment. On many roads, drivers are already travelling at these lower speeds.
Some roads are proposed to be 60km/h, while others are 80km/h. Individual speed limits are based on the risk profiles of each road.
We are also focusing on speeds around six schools in the area. These roads have been assessed as a high priority because children are particularly vulnerable road users.
Currently, lower speed limits are focused around small areas directly outside the school gate. We are looking to extend the area of these speed limits to focus on children's journey to and from school taking an area-wide approach, using a mix of 30km/h and 60km/h speed limits to keep children safe when travelling to and from school.
Feedback closed at 5:00pm on Wednesday 26 June 2024.