Sweeping speed limit changes proposed
Waimakariri residents will get a chance to have their say on sweeping changes proposed for new speed limits later this year.
The Waimakariri District Council has been engaging with its four community boards on speed limits since the Setting of Speed Limits Rule 2022 came into effect in May last year.
The new rule requires councils to develop a speed management plan every three years based on Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency’s safe speed guidelines, under the Government’s Road to Zero vision.
Waimakariri mayor Dan Gordon said the new draft Waimakariri Speed Management Plan would lead to sweeping changes to speed limits across the district.
Gordon said the process was complex, as the direction from central government was ‘‘very prescriptive’’.
‘‘The content of the document, and the number of speed limit changes proposed, is significant and something that needs to be considered by the full council before it is circulated to the boards for their input and endorsement.’’
Gordon said the council would hold a workshop next month before seeking approval from the community boards to take the draft plan out for consultation during August and September.
The council planned to sign it off by December before submitting it to Waka Kotahi for certification.
In a report to the community boards, council staff said four speed limits were agreed to by Canterbury’s councils to ensure consistency across the region.
This included 80kph on rural sealed roads, 60kph on rural unsealed roads, 40kph in urban areas and 30kph around urban schools, town centres and some urban streets.
The proposed changes are causing some angst, with Waimakariri MP Matt Doocey, the National Party’s associate transport spokesperson, raising his concerns on social media earlier
this week. Doocey posted a speed limit map from Waka Kotahi, released under an Official Information Act request.
The map was a MegaMap, which has been produced for each district to model what speed limit reductions might look like.
The MegaMap suggested 30kph speed limits could be widespread across Rangiora, Kaiapoi, Woodend, Ravenswood and Pegasus.
But the council’s draft speed management plan proposed no 30kph speed limits in Woodend, Ravenswood or Pegasus in the council’s draft plan, except around the two schools.
The council was proposing a mix of 30kph and 40kph speed limits for Rangiora and Kaiapoi.
A Waka Kotahi spokesperson said MegaMaps were a tool but not ‘‘a replacement for community consultation’’.
But Doocey said the MegaMaps were evidence that speed limits were being forced onto councils by the Labour Government. ‘‘As a local MP, I oppose blanket speed limit reductions being imposed across the Waimakariri.’’
North Canterbury-based Labour list MP Dan Rosewarne said Doocey’s post was ‘‘100% incorrect’’.
‘‘Councils are doing what they’ve always done and I know the Woodend–Sefton Community Board is a strong advocate for reducing speeds if they feel it needs to be reduced.’’