Source: New Zealand Government
Reversals to Labour’s blanket speed limit reductions begin tonight and will be in place by 1 July, says Minister of Transport Chris Bishop.
“The previous government was obsessed with slowing New Zealanders down by imposing illogical and untargeted speed limit reductions on state highways and local roads.
“National campaigned on reversing the blanket speed limit reductions at the last election, and over 65 per cent of submitters during consultation on the Land Transport Rule: Setting of Speed Limits 2024 agreed.
“Reversing the speed limit reductions where safe to do so is also part of the National-ACT coalition agreement.
“Where Labour was about slowing New Zealand down, the coalition Government is all about making it easier for people and freight to get from A to B as quickly and efficiently as possible, which will help drive economic growth and improved productivity.”
The Land Transport Rule: Setting of Speed Limits 2024 requires NZTA and local councils to reverse all speed limits lowered since January 2020 on several categories of roads back to their previous limits by 1 July 2025.
“Labour’s Kieran McAnulty said recently that as Associate Transport Minister under the previous government he’d asked NZTA to review the SH2 Wairarapa speed limit, and that they told him no. It seems he just shrugged and accepted that,” Mr Bishop says.
“Today provides a classic example of our Government’s determination to stop letting government agencies put things in the too-hard basket, and instead to push forward for actual results.
“Today provides a classic example of our Government’s determination to stop letting government agencies put things in the too-hard basket, and instead to push forward for actual results.
“The first state highway to reverse will be the section of SH2 between Featherston and Masterton, where the speed limit reduction in early 2023 under the previous government met with huge community hostility – the exact road that Kieran McAnulty failed to get any action on. This change which will take effect overnight tonight.
“To ensure this process happens efficiently, over the next few months NZTA will incorporate the automatic speed reversal work alongside planned maintenance and project works.
“I have also released a further list of 49 sections of state highway for further public consultation so local communities can have their say on keeping their current lower speed limit or returning to the previous higher speed. Public consultation on those sections begins tomorrow and will run for six weeks.
“In terms of local road changes, councils have until 1 May 2025 to advise NZTA of the specified roads subject to reversal under the new Rule.”
The new rule requires reduced variable speed limits outside schools during pick up and drop off times.
“We are prioritising the safety of Kiwi kids by introducing reduced speed limits outside schools during pick-up and drop-off times. We want to see these changes brought about quickly,” Mr Bishop says.
“By 1 July 2026, local streets outside a school will be required to have a 30km/h variable speed limit. Rural roads that are outside schools will be required to have variable speed limits of 60km/h or less.
“Throughout the world, 50km/h is used as the right speed limit to keep urban roads flowing smoothly and safely. The evidence on this is clear – comparable countries with the lowest rates of road deaths and serious injuries, such as Norway, Denmark, and Japan, have speed limits of 50km/h on their urban roads, with exceptions for lower speed limits.
“These countries have strong road safety records, targeting alcohol, drugs, and speeding. Our Government has a clear focus on improving road safety outcomes with clear targets to ensure Police are focussed on the most high-risk times, behaviours, and locations.”
Notes to editor:
Attached fact sheets:
- 38 sections of state highway for speed limit auto reversal
- 49 sections of state highway for community consultation
Under the Setting of Speed Limits Rule signed by previous Transport Minister Simeon Brown in September 2024, the NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) and councils are required to reverse all speed limits lowered since January 2020 on several categories of specified roads back to their previous limits by 1 July 2025.
To give effect to the new Rule, NZTA will automatically reverse speed limits on 38 sections of the state highway network back to their previous higher speed limit, and publicly consult on a further 49 sections before final decisions are made whether to reverse them or not.
Public consultation on 49 sections of state highway will begin on 30 January 2025 and run for six weeks.
Further note:
The reference to Mr McAnulty’s comments regarding SH2 in the Wairarapa is taken from Kate Judson’s article in The Wairarapa Times-Age, Jan 25 2025: Slow road back to 100kph for Wairarapa motorists:
Labour list MP Kieran McAnulty said he was not convinced SH2 speeds south of Greytown would change by July because the decision rested with NZTA.
“It wouldn’t surprise me if they said they’ll put it up to 100kph if the road gets improved,” he said.
“I know how resolute NZTA were on it. I was associate transport minister and looked them in the eye and said, ‘I want you to review the speed limit,’ and they said no.”
