Revise or reverse: Christchurch to Akaroa highway speed limits up for debate

Friday, 28 June 2024

Nine people died in crashes on State Highway 75 between Christchurch and Akaroa from 2011 to 2020. There have been no fatal crashes since the speed limits dropped in 2022. (File photo)

National’s campaign promise to reverse Labour’s speed limit reductions on state highways may be a hard one to keep on the Christchurch to Akaroa Highway, National’s Banks Peninsula MP says.

The highway between Halswell and Akaroa was one of many that had speed reductions under the previous government’s speed reduction strategy in the hopes of reducing fatalities across Aotearoa.

The NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi cited safety concerns as a major reason for reducing multiple sections of the highway in 2022.

The highway from Halswell to Little River was reduced from 100kph to 80kph, and 70kph to 60kph from Little River to Akaroa. Some other areas of the highway, such as school zones, were reduced further.

National said speed reductions across the country ignored the economic impacts, and promised to return 100kph limits back to roads through its Accelerate NZ plan to restore balance.

Banks Peninsula MP Dr Vanessa Weenink says the decrease in deaths may not outweigh the rise in frustration. (File photo)

But Banks Peninsula MP Dr Vanessa Weenink said it would take a strong case to outweigh the benefit her community has enjoyed due to the limit changes.

There were 747 crashes from 2011 to 2020, according to Waka Kotahi statistics.

“Nine people were killed and 74 were seriously injured, many facing lengthy rehabilitation,” the agency stated.

Since the changes, according to Waka Kotahi, there had been 24 crashes in the Halswell to Little River section of the highway, and six crashes from Little River to Akaroa.

“That is a very significant change, and I think it will be a stretch to argue that the impacts on time and productivity would outweigh the significant safety advantage.”

Following the reductions, Waka Kotahi anticipated motorists would need to account for up to 5 minutes and 30 seconds extra for travel time, but one commuter told The Press their trip time only rose by four minutes.

Weenink said she wanted to hear from the community via her Bank Peninsula Road Survey as there was a “wide range of opinions on this issue”.

Akaroa’s Waffle Haus owner Jamie Stewart is keen for a speed review of State Highway 75. (File photo)

Jamie Stewart, and former community board member and Akaroa business owner, said he was glad National would restore speed limits to some highways.

“A lot of Akaroa folk are hoping our road to Christchurch is one of these,” Stewart said.

“Little River to Akaroa is all hilly, so 60kph is pretty good for that. “But I probably drive [to Christchurch] two or three times a week and 80kph is pretty slow.”

Nigel Harrison, a Te Pātaka o Rākaihautū Banks Peninsula Community Board member, said initially he was against the speed limit reductions.

However, the frustrated voices grew quieter when the fire siren stopped ringing so often.

“If you save one person’s life over two years - who would dare challenge that.“

He welcomed a review of the speed limits to determine which areas were appropriate, but he did not support a total rewind.

Banks Peninsula Community Board member Nigel Harrison says most speed reductions were appropriate.

Weenink was canvassing the community via a Bank Peninsula Road Survey, and would hold a public meeting on July 6 at the Akaroa Bowling Club to discuss its results.

“I think it is important to listen to those opinions and to offer opportunity to contribute to the discussion,” Weenink said.

However, “quantitative data is also very compelling”, she said.