Hawke's Bay council seeks legal advice on lower Napier-Taupō Road speed limit

Tuesday, 1 February 2022

The speed limit on the Napier-Taupō road reduces to 80kmh on February 18. (File photo)

Legal options to review Waka Kotahi’s decision to reduce the speed limit on the Napier-Taupō Road are being considered by the Hawke’s Bay Regional Transport Committee, despite the transport agency saying “there will be no reconsideration”.

New lower speed limits will be enforced on the Napier-Taupō Road from February 18.

The agency announced in December it will lower the speed limit on the road (also known as State Highway 5) between Rangitaiki and Esk Valley after considering public feedback after the proposal was announced earlier last year.

The proposal was contentious, with proponents saying it would save lives, while others, including Hastings Mayor Sandra Hazlehurst and racing driver Greg Murphy, questioning the agency's motives and claiming the reduction would make little difference.

**READ MORE:

The speed limit on 90km of SH5 is due to be lowered later this month. (File photo)

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A truck driver captures a dangerous driver on the Napier-Taupo road on the night of August 20, 2020.

After considering 1800 submissions and following technical assessments of the road the agency has decided to go ahead with the proposal that will see the speed limit reduce from 100kmh to 80kmh over 90km of the highway between Rangitaiki (1140m southeast of Matea Rd) to Esk Valley (110m west of Waipunga Rd).

An extraordinary meeting of the Regional Transport Committee, comprised of representatives of the region’s five councils, has been called on Thursday, with the intention of deciding whether to provide Waka Kotahi with a “position statement”.

A paper before the committee noted there had been “considerable public backlash” to Waka Kotahi’s decision because it appeared not to have taken account of the public submissions opposed to the lower speed limit.

The paper says it appears Waka Kotahi has not undertaken an optional stage of engagement with local stakeholders because the agency assessed the safety risk as high and urgent.

“Waka Kotahi staff have noted consistently that the speed setting decision has been made and that there will be no reconsideration of this,” the paper said.

Hawke’s Bay Regional Council staff have requested legal advice to understand what avenues the commitee may have available to review the consultation and decision-making process, and what options there may be to delay the implementation while a review is considered.

Kiri Goodspeed, who lives on the road, began a petition in January urging Waka Kotahi (NZTA) to rescind its decision to permanently lower the speed limit on SH5, between Rangitaiki and Esk Valley, from 100kmh to 80kmh.

The petition, which closes on February 4, has more than 4700 signatures.

Goodspeed attended a meeting last Friday with NZTA representatives, local MPs Anna Lorck (Tukituki), Stuart Nash (Napier) and Meka Whaitiri (Ikaroa-Rāwhiti) and other interested parties.

“We all agreed to disagree that the blanket 80kmh is appropriate, or likely effective in achieving the stated road to zero goal. Everyone did agree that the road is a strategic link, which the Hawke's Bay community is reliant upon, and all agreed that there is years of under investment in maintaining and improving road,” she said.