Speed Limit Validation Bill Completes First Reading

A bill retrospectively validating speed limits set by local councils has completed its first reading.

Transport Minister Simon Bridges said theLand Transport (Speed Limits Validation and Other Matters) Bill validates speed limits local bodies set through by-laws. It clarified technical and legal issues as some local bodies might not have set speed limits under correct powers or otherwise not acted entirely within the law in their review of the limits.

The Bill validates all speed limit bylaws and confirms they were made correctly under land transport legislation.

Mr Bridges said there was no alternative to legislation as he did not want to take the risk of any speed limit set being valid or those limits being challenged.

Phil Twyford said Labour would support the bill even though MPs did not like retrospective legislation. He said the bill arose after the Kapiti District Council discovered some of its limits set by-law may no longer be valid as they may not have been reviewed as required.

He said other councils may have done the same thing and there could be potentially tens of thousands tickets being issued under the law being invalid.

The bill completed its first reading on a voice vote and MPs began the second reading.

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