Public Will Have Final Say On State Highway 30 Speed Limit

Friday, 21 February 2025, 8:23 pm
Article: Diane McCarthy - Local Democracy Reporter

Whakatāne District Council will be asking New Zealand Transport Agency Waka Kotahi to revert sections of State Highway 30 back to speed limits of 100kmh.

The change will likely go ahead unless there is clear public support of the current 80kmh limit

The council will also ask that the section between Whakatane Bridge and Gateway Drive remain at 60kmh.

At a meeting of the council’s infrastructure and planning committee on Thursday, councillors were asked whether they wanted to make a submission to the agency’s public consultation, which closes on March 13.

Julie Jukes moved that the council submit that it would like to see speed limits revert to the previous limits of 100kmh in some areas. Mayor Victor Luca seconded the motion.

Councillor Gavin Dennis argued against raising the speed limit as it “went against the whole concept of trying to reduce death and serious injury”.

“I believe we should retain the current speed limits. These current speed limits were put in by the previous government after a lot of research of facts and figures from Waka Kotahi. This current reversion doesn’t come up with any facts or figures that provide a reason they should go back except it might save you a minute.”

Mr Dennis, who is Matata Volunteer Fire Brigade’s chief fire officer said he believed there had been far fewer accidents since the change to 80kmh.

Ms Jukes said while she agreed with some of what Mr Dennis said, it was about saving more than just one minute.

“It’s now 15 to 20 minutes extra to get to Rotorua.”

As an example of the loss of productivity this caused for businesses, she mentioned a business with four employees travelling back and forth between Whakatāne and Rotorua which had lost 10 hours of productivity a week.

While Mr Dennis and councillor Ngapera Rangiaho voted against submitting for raising the speed limits, the remaining councillors supported the motion.

The Government announced in January that it would be reversing blanket speed limit reductions brought in since 2020.

However, the only section of road on which the speed limit will be automatically reversed under the new rules is from the Whakatāne Bridge to the Gateway Drive roundabout. Currently this section has a 60kmh speed limit which will revert to 80kmh by July 1.

Whakatāne councillors voted to include in their submission that they wished to retain the 60kmh speed limit between the Whakatane Bridge and Gateway Drive. Only councillor Wilson James said he would prefer to keep that section of the highway at 80kmh.

Several other sections of State Highway 30 between Whakatāne and Tikitere are part of the current consultation and will revert to 100kmh if there is no public support to retain the current 80kmh speed limit.

These include 8.25km between Shaw Road and Awakeri, 8.62km between Awakeri and Te Teko, 16.1km between Te Teko and Lake Rotomā and 4.51km between Lake Rotomā and Lake Rotoehu.

Sections not included in the consultation, that will retain their current speed limit are Te Teko east, the Rotomā hills from the western Kawerau turnoff to west of Oxford Road, Rotoma, Hinehopu to Hauparu and Hauparu to Tikitere.

Also included in the council’s submission was that the 80kmh area between The Hub and Shaw Road be extended to just west of Thornton Road.

This was raised as the district council plans to change Thornton Road between the intersection with SH30 and the Blueberry corner curves to 80kmh.

Lesley Immink also requested that council’s continued support for a roundabout at the intersection of Mill Road be included in the submission.

Julie Jukes asked that the council provide feedback to Waka Kotahi about the difficulty of making a submission on the department’s website.

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