Sharon Cameron says she can hear drivers accelerating to close to 150km/h on the straight stretch of rural road near the school she works at.
She’s sick of the sound of it.
Cameron, the caretaker at local school Te Kura Kaupapa Māori O Tamaki Nui A Rua, says she’s welcoming consultation on proposed speed limit changes outside the school near Dannevirke.
She said the speed limit on Makirikiri Rd, which goes past their drop-off and pick-up point, had been a concern for some time for both the kura’s board and family members.
Currently, there is a 70km/h permanent speed zone outside the school, with a 100km/h permanent speed zone just beyond this area for just over 1km. It then reverts back to 70km/h just prior to the intersection with Miller St.
Cameron said during school hours, where 83 students from Years 1 to 13 are educated, cars could be heard speeding along the road.
“Because it’s a nice straight, they hit the straight and boy racers will be doing 150 clicks by the end of the straight.
“We hear them changing down to take the corner.”
She said due to the kura’s proactive approach, there had been no incidents, but she didn’t want there to be no action just because nothing horrific had happened.
Tararua District Council says by July 1, 2026, local streets outside all schools in urban areas will be required to have a 30km/h variable speed limit up to 150m from school entrances.
Rural roads outside schools with higher surrounding speed limits will be required to have variable speed limits of 60km/h or less up to 300m from school entrances.
These speed limits are required no more than 45 minutes either side of the school bell at the start and end of each school day.
According to Tararua District Council, 18 of the 20 schools within Tararua are able to easily install the new variable speed zone signs without creating any confusion with the existing permanent speed limits, and no public consultation is required.
But the council is investigating options for Te Kura Kaupapa Māori O Tamaki Nui A Rua to accommodate the new variable speed zones on Makirikiri Rd.
“Where the existing 70km/h permanent speed signs are located, it will be difficult to accommodate new signs without creating confusing or conflicting information for drivers,” the council said.
There are three options under consideration for the school, with consultation to close September 17, 2025.
“The three options they gave us each have a little bit of what we need, but one option isn’t the perfect option,” Cameron said.
Option one would extend the existing 70km/h permanent speed zone slightly further out to accommodate a variable 30km/h variable speed zone sign within 150m of the school gate.
Option two would seek approval from NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA) to trial a new mechanical “dual” speed sign that reverts from a permanent 70km/h limit to a variable 30km/h limit during school drop-off and pick-up times. This sign is expected to have higher maintenance costs compared to static signs.
Option three, which is the council’s preferred choice, would extend the existing 70km/h limit along the full stretch of Makirikiri Road to align with the adjoining State Highway and Miller St, with a 30km/h variable speed zone introduced up to 150m from the school gate.
The council’s website said the average speed of this road is 72km/h, so the third option’s potential impact on traffic would be minimal.
Cameron said she would prefer permanent drops in speed, taking away the 100km/h section of the road. The school’s “perfect solution to the problem” would be changing the 70km/h area past the kura to a 50km/h area, and the rest of Makirikiri Rd to 70km/h.
She also wanted to see a further reduction in the 50km/h area to 30km/h before and after school.
Cameron said with the current speed, staff ensured they were in high vis to make sure the tamariki (children) were safe in the school traffic.
“We don’t let any children exit kura without a teacher or parent with them going near the road.”
Ruahine School, which also has three speed limit options under consultation for Te Rehunga South Road, declined to comment.
Michaela Gower joined Hawke’s Bay Today in 2023 and is based out of the Hastings newsroom. She covers Dannevirke and Hawke’s Bay news and loves sharing stories about farming and rural communities.