Hon Simeon Brown
Minister of Transport
Hon David Seymour
Minister for Regulation

The Coalition Government will reverse Labour’s blanket speed limit reductions by 1 July 2025 through a new Land Transport Rule released for public consultation today, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says.

The draft speed limit rule will deliver on the National-ACT coalition commitment to reverse the previous government’s blanket speed limit reductions. It will ensure that when speed limits are set, economic impacts – including travel times – and the views of road users and local communities are taken into account, alongside safety.

“The previous government’s untargeted approach slowed Kiwis and the economy down, rather than targeting high crash areas of the network,” Mr Brown says.

“Our draft speed limit rule will require speed limits that have been reduced since 1 January 2020 to be reversed on local streets, arterial roads, and state highways. It will also require variable speed limits outside schools during pick up and drop off times to keep young New Zealanders safe.

“Local streets outside a school will be required to have a 30km/h variable speed limit during school travel times. Rural roads that are outside schools will be required to have variable speed limits of 60km/h or less.”

Regulation Minister David Seymour says that scattergun restrictions based on nanny state ideology, not evidence, are depressing. Blanket restrictions forced on communities from Wellington didn’t just make it harder for people to get where they wanted quickly and safely, they drained the joy from life as people were forced to follow rules they knew made no sense.

“Worse still, people ignore rules that don’t make sense and once the habit forms, they ignore rules that do make sense. Sensible lawmaking is important for respecting the rule of law,” Mr Seymour says.

Mr Brown says the draft speed limit rule will enable new and existing Roads of National Significance to be travelled on at 110km/h where they are built to a high safety standard.

“With the delivery of Roads of National Significance, New Zealand roads are safer than they have ever been before. Safe road infrastructure should be enabling higher speed limits, not slower ones.

“As part of consultation on the draft rule, the Government is seeking feedback from New Zealanders on enabling speed limits of up to 120km/h on Roads of National Significance that are built and maintained to safely accommodate that speed.

“I encourage New Zealanders to submit feedback on our draft speed limit rule to reverse blanket speed limit reductions across the country. Kiwis can provide feedback on the rule at www.transport.govt.nz ,” Mr Brown says.

Notes:

• The draft Rule proposes to require speed limits reduced since 1 January 2020 to be reversed on the following roads:
• local streets with widespread 30km/h speed limits surrounding a school
• arterial roads (urban connectors)
• Rural State Highways (interregional connectors)
• If NZTA can demonstrate public support for lower speed limits on part of a Rural State highway (for example, windy, hilly sections), the lower speed limit can be retained for that section.
• By 1 July 2025, all relevant reduced speed limits must be either recertified or reversed to what they were on 31 December 2019.
• The draft rule will require variable speed limits outside schools during the school travel periods of 8-9.30am and 2.30-4pm on school days. During these times, the speed limit will be 30km/h for category 1 schools and between 40km/h and 60km/h for category 2 schools. At all other times the speed limit will be the posted limit.
• The deadline for all roads to meet the new variable speed limits outside school gates requirement is 31 December 2027.

Timeframes for the Land Transport Rule: Setting of Speed Limits 2024

© Scoop Media