Consultation on keeping three Far North lower highway speed limits in place

This speed limit on SH1 in Kaitāia is one of three state highway limits in the Far North being reviewed after it was lowered several years ago.

Far North folk are urged to have their say on plans to raise speeds on three sections of state highway across the district or if they should be kept at their lower limits.

NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi is consulting on speed limits at three ‘urban connector’ state highway locations in the Far North - SH1 Kaitāia north from just south of North Park Drive (by the Gull petrol station) to just north of Wireless Rd; SH1 Moerewa from east of Leaity St to east of Sir William Hale Cres east; and SH11 Te Haumi from north of Smith Camp Rd to south of Tohitapu Rd.

Under new government rules, because these sections of state highway are categorised as urban connectors where NZTA have lowered speed limits since January 2020, the speed limits at the three sites must automatically change to their previous higher speed limit by July 1.

This means that by July 1 the speed limit at the Moerewa site will change from 50km/h to 70km/h, for Te Haumi the speed limit will change from 50km/h to 80km/h, and for Kaitāia north the speed limits will change from 50/60km/h to 70/100km/h.

However, NZTA said it had heard strong community support for keeping the current lower speed limits in Kaitāia north, Moerewa and Te Haumi and have opened new speed reviews that include consultation on proposals to confirm the current lower speeds as the legal speed limits.

‘‘Following careful consideration of recent community feedback on speeds at these Northland locations, as well as past evidence of community support, we have now opened a formal review of these speed limits,‘’ NZTA said.

‘‘These reviews acknowledge that under government rules the speed limits here must change to the previous higher ones by July 1, and propose re-setting the higher speed limit back to the lower speed limit immediately following this change in July.‘’

Consultation closes at 5pm on May 14 and to have your say go to https://www.nzta.govt.nz/safety/driving-safely/speed/state-highway-speed-management/future-new-speed-reviews-under-the-2024-rule/new-consultation-on-urban-connectors/northland/.

Consultation on speed limit reviews on four other stretches of Far North state highway closed at the end of March.

NZTA consulted on four sections of highway at three locations in Northland - SH10 Kaingaroa (north and south sides), SH1 Moerewa to Kawakawa, and SH1 Hukerenui. The outcome of that consultation has yet to be released.