Transport Committee sends rural speed limit plan back to council for discussion

Monday, 1 July 2019

Waikato Regional Council's Regional Transport Committee have delayed a vote endorsing lower speeds on rural roads after members asked for it to be discussed within their individual councils first.

Committee members , which include representatives from all of the region's councils opted for this instead of voting to endorse the Draft Regional Speed Management Plan at its quarterly meeting on Monday.

The Plan recommends speed limits be lowered on rural arterial roads from 100kmh to 90kmh and an 80kmh or 60kmh speed limit regime on local roads in rural areas.

Committee chairman Hugh Vercoe said there was agreement around the committee that Waikato was over-represented in road fatalities. Speed was not the only factor in causing road deaths, but it was one which they could act on.

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The document had to have the full support of the region to work. If there was 'nervousness' among the committee for endorsing the plan, Vercoe said he was happy to have it sent back to their respective councils for discussion and then come back to the committee for endorsement at a later date.

South Waikato District councillor Bill Machen​ and Hauraki District Council's deputy mayor Toby Adams requested the plan head back to the district councils for discussion.

Machen said he did not have the mandate to endorse the plan because it had not been discussed around their table. He requested it be taken back to be discussed with the full council.

The district was frequented by a lot of logging trucks which used rural roads, and Machen said he wanted feedback from that sector as well.

'They would not be happy with having their speed limits reduced.'

'This is an important thing and because of that, it's important that we get it right and that we get buy in from these people who are full time users of these roads.'

The committee amended the recommendation to voted to receive the plan only and removed reference of endorsing it until its September meeting.

The sole member who voted against the move was Thames Coromandel District Council mayor Sandra Goudie, who said the move had no support among her council because of concerns NZTA may use it as a way of soliciting more funding from their council for other projects.

'Our council has clearly given a majority mandate to not support or endorse this plan,' she said.