Parents of children at Hōhepa in Hawke’s Bay fear an increase of highway speed limits from 80km/h to 100km/h will put residents and staff turning into its driveway at risk.
Hōhepa – a service provider for special needs children and adults with an intellectual disability – has a centre and store on State Highway 51 north of Clive.
The stretch of road, along with State Highway 5 between Napier and Taupō farther north, is part of the National and Act coalition agreement to reverse speed-limit reductions implemented under the previous Labour Government.
The section between Napier and Clive is classed as a rural connector and will automatically revert to 100km/h by July.
Mark Witchalls, who has a daughter at Hōhepa and is part of its Families Association, said the decision to raise the speed limit from Clive to the bridges just past the organisation was “nuts”.
The Waitangi Bridge has remained at a 60km/h limit for safety reasons since Cyclone Gabrielle swept through, forcing it to be reassessed.
“They haven’t thought this through whatsoever,” Witchalls said.
“It’s an unintended consequence of the decision.”
His wife Shelly and fellow parent Ruth Malone also say they fear the potential risks that come with a faster speed limit.
They said while they didn’t oppose the changes to the speed limits overall, they wished that more consideration had gone into the section of roading past Hōhepa.
Witchalls said if someone was travelling at 100km/h and crashed into the bus load of people turning into or out of the facility it would be “carnage”.
“There is no logical reason for them to increase the speed to 100km/h from Napier to Clive – it’s not going to do anything.”
In 2018, a crash outside the facility in which a woman in her 50s and one in her 20s were taken to Hawke’s Bay Hospital with moderate to serious injuries led to calls for the 100km/h speed limit to be reduced. The reduced limit was implemented in 2021.
Hōhepa chief executive Santiago De Marco said several parents and staff members had contacted him when they heard the Government’s announcement about raising the limit.
“We are surprised with this move to increase the speed limit because we felt that we had achieved a really good outcome when the speed got reduced to 80km/h.”
He said that given the high volume of traffic along the road and people turning in and out of the driveway of Hōhepa, there would be increased risk with a higher speed.
De Marco said there had been no consultation with Hōhepa about the changes.
“We haven’t been involved or notified, we just found out through the news.”
Tukituki MP Catherine Wedd said the announcement was in response to the Labour Government’s blanket speed-limit reductions.
“I’m thrilled with our Government’s announcement, which will reverse the speed limit between Napier and Clive to 100km/h.
“Instead of a blanket, untargeted approach that reduces speed limits across the board, we’re focusing on the leading factors in road deaths: drugs and alcohol.”
Wedd said she supported the roads being reversed to 100km/h and encouraged voters to submit to NZTA on the stretches that were open for community consultation – SH5 by Tarawera Cafe, Turangakumu to Te Hāroto, and Te Pōhue.
That community consultation will be conducted from January 30 to March 13.
“Our Government is focused on road safety, and that’s why we’ve invested $1.3 billion in the Road Policing Investment Programme.”
Transport Minister Chris Bishop said the increase in speed would help drive economic growth and productivity.
“Where Labour was about slowing New Zealand down, the coalition Government is all about making it easier for people and freight to get from A to B as quickly and efficiently as possible.”
Bishop said on Wednesday the 38 roads where the speed limits would increase were chosen because they were easy, long straight stretches of state highways.
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.