Multiple local councils have told the government the proposed changes will “reduce road safety” and “impose significant cost on ratepayers”. Mava Moayyed reports.
Watch an in-depth investigation into the impact of speed on New Zealand roads, on TVNZ+.
In March, the government announced it would deliver on a pre-election promise to reverse “blanket” speed limit reductions put in place by the previous government
Transport Minister Simenon Brown says the public were simply “not on board” with the Labour government’s approach and the new rules, would take a more “balanced” view when setting speed limits.
What are the proposed rules?
Under the proposed new rules, all speed limits on local roads, arterial roads, and rural state highways, which had been reduced since January 1, 2020, would be reserved. The changes vary but in some cases, 30km/h limits would be reversed to 50km/h and 80km/h limits would be reversed to 100km/h. On some roads the government is considering introducing speed limits of up to 120km/h.
All school zones would be required to have a variable speed limit of 30km/h during drop-off and pick up times (instead of a constant 30km/h limit) and every new speed limit change would require a cost benefit analysis with the “economic impacts” considered alongside safety.
On state highways, speed limits are set by New Zealand Transport Agency Waka Kotahi, while speeds on local roads are managed by councils.
Public consultation on the draft has closed and Brown says thousands of people had their say. “I think 65 per cent of people who submitted said they support the reversals,” he says.
But some local councils’ submissions shared with 1News show strong opposition to the changes (more on that below).
Luxon: ‘Rein in fantasies’
The proposed changes, while expensive, come after the Prime Minister Christopher Luxon told local councils they needed to “rein in the fantasies” on spending.
In a speech at a Local Government NZ conference last month, Luxon said the “the days of handouts are over” and asked councils to “get back to delivering the basics brilliantly”.
When asked about costs associated with the new speed limit rules, Simeon Brown avoided the specifics.
“Well ultimately, New Zealanders voted to reverse Labor’s blanket speed limit reductions. That’s what we committed to do.”
In 2023 there were 341 fatalities on New Zealand roads – speed was a factor in about a third of these.
Risk increases exponentially with speed. If a pedestrian were to be hit by a car travelling at 30km/h, their risk of death would be about 10%, if the car was travelling at 40km/h that risk would increase to 32%, and if the car was travelling at 50km/h the pedestrian would have a very high chance – 80% – of dying. Speed also increases the chances of a driver hitting a pedestrian by reducing their ability to stop quickly.
The previous government had a Road to Zero strategy, aiming for a 40% reduction in deaths and serious injuries on our roads by 2030. The speed limit reductions were mostly targeted in urban areas, school zones, and some rural roads.
That strategy will be scrapped and replaced with a new set of road safety priorities decided by National, ACT, and New Zealand First, most of them set to be implemented in July 2025.
What were some of the councils’ responses?
Auckland City Council [Auckland Transport]
Roads affected: Potentially more than 1400 local roads near schools and more than 30 urban arterial roads may need to have speed limits changed.
Estimated cost: Between $7 and $21 million.
Comments: Auckland Council is “concerned that the approach taken will compromise safety and lead to an increase in deaths and serious injuries”.
The changes are “unlikely to lead to substantial improvements in travel times and economic productivity” and “if no additional funding is made available, additional cost would mostly fall on ratepayers.”
Hamilton City Council
Roads affected: Yet to be determined
Estimated cost: $600,000.
Comments: “None of the proposals for reversing speed limit reductions have a safety assessment associated with them. International evidence is very conclusive that increasing speed limits exponentially increases safety risk”.
“Staff are concerned about additional costs being imposed… to undertake a Cost Benefit Analysis for each and every speed limit that it wishes to implement”.
Horowhenua District Council
Roads affected / Estimated cost: Not provided
Comments: The proposal “presents an unreasonable and unplanned cost and resource burden… and could cause a loss of public confidence”.
“A blanket approach of variable speed limits rather than selecting the best option for the specific circumstances… is arbitrary and inefficient.”
“Council has far more significant and pressing matters than repeating a process mandated by central government in such a short time period.”
Timaru District Council
Roads affected: Yet to be determined
Estimated cost: $600,000 and a further $14,000 for advertising.
Comments: Ultimately, the Timaru Council says it won’t be reversing speed limits because “this would not be a prudent use of ratepayer and taxpayer funds”.
“To reverse these changes would pose reputational risk to our organisations and in many cases, would conflict with best practice – directly reducing road safety within our communities.”
“We consider that the cost and benefit criteria included in the draft Rule are too narrow, and actively bias against speed limit reductions… We question any approach that quantifies loss of life against financial or economic outcomes”.
Kapiti Coast District Council
Roads affected: One
Estimated cost: Estimated cost of less than $5000
Comments: “We believe the changes proposed are illogical and irresponsible.” They will “reduce the safety of our roads, place yet another unfunded mandate on councils, and puts business and economics above the safety of our children”.
Watch Mava Moayyed’s in-depth investigation into the impacts of speed on New Zealand roads on TVNZ+.
