Rakaia Speed Reversal Puts 'Saving Seconds Over Safety'

Thursday, 30 January 2025, 9:35 pm
Article: Jonathan Leask - Local Democracy Reporter

The Rakaia community is disappointed that saving a few seconds for motorists passing through their town is more important than safety.

Rakaia Community Association chairperson Neil Pluck said the community fought for a decade to get a speed reduction, which finally came into effect in May 2024 when the speed on State Highway 1 was reduced from 70km/h to 50km/h.

Pluck said he was frustrated that the "faceless giant that is NZTA" would reverse it after nine months.

Minister of Transport Chris Bishop announced on Wednesday the reversal of the former government's blanket speed limit reductions and aims to have the changes in place by 1 July.

"The previous government was obsessed with slowing New Zealanders down by imposing illogical and untargeted speed limit reductions on state highways and local roads," Bishop said.

NZTA will automatically reverse speed limits on 38 sections of the state highway network - including through the Rakaia township - back to their previous higher speed limit.

The community is rallying in response to the change, but Pluck conceded it felt "like a done deal".

"The main south road passing through Rakaia is like a foreign country controlled by someone else and it feels impossible to negotiate or have local, grounded discussions about it".

The reduced speed has made a massive difference and "feels so much safer", Pluck said.

"The east side is family houses and the bulk of what those families want to do - the school, the domain, swimming, and all that stuff is on the west side of the main road.

"It has worked well. The traffic has bunched up but the gaps between the bunches is significantly better to negotiate any crossing."

The change back to 70km/h will only shave a few seconds off getting through the town but raise the risk of a serious incident, he said.

Residents vented their frustrations on a Rakaia community social media page, with one resident stating it "seems the lives of our country folk are only [worth] an extra few seconds off a trip down the main south road".

Most of the comments supported the lower speed but some welcomed the reversal.

Rangiatata MP James Meager said he had supported lowering the speed limit in Rakaia as it was what the community wanted.

"I'll be working with NZTA on a solution which reflects the local community's views."

There is also 49 highway speed limit reversals that will go out for consultation. Local communities can have their say on keeping their current lower speed limit or returning to the previous higher speed.

The speed over the Rakaia River Bridge to Weavers Road, reduced to 80km/h last year, is on the consultation list.

Bishop was contacted to explain why the Rakaia township reduction was not on the consultation list.

A speed reduction in the town of Methven, about 36km/h from Rakaia, was not on the consultation list. The speed limit dropped last year on State Highway 77.

LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.

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