NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA) has confirmed that lower speed limits will remain in place on 13 of 16 reviewed urban connector sections of state highway, following strong feedback from communities and stakeholders.
The speed reviews form part of a broader reassessment of 38 state highway sections required to revert to former, higher speed limits under the Land Transport Rule: Setting of Speed Limits 2024 — unless there was a compelling reason not to.
“After considering all of the safety, technical, cost and consultation information, including whether the road environment had changed and become more urban since original speed limits were changed in the past few years, NZTA has confirmed that 13 of the 16 sections will retain their lower speed limits,” the agency says.
Most of the reviewed areas are short stretches of highway on the edges of small towns, where drivers typically slow down and where lower speeds align with the surrounding environment.
“In some of these locations considerable population growth has occurred in recent years, and in other areas the road environment has changed, with large numbers of driveways, many public amenities and high pedestrian usage, including at schools and marae nearby,” NZTA noted.
Each decision factored in technical safety data, formal cost benefit disclosure statements (CBDS), and public consultation results.
However, three sections will see speed limits rise under the new rule:
- Rotorua (SH30 and SH30A): Speed limits will increase to 60km/h to improve consistency across the network and reduce frequent changes over short distances.
- Tūrangi (SH1): A section previously proposed for a 60km/h limit will be shortened, while the rest will revert to the previous 100km/h limit.
“These changes will come into effect by 1 July 2025, as required by the Rule,” NZTA says.
The full list of affected sites and review outcomes is available on the NZTA website.
