Taihape's St Joseph's Catholic School principal Peter Hijazeen is among those calling for changes to SH1, from the Rauma Rd intersection through to Winiata Marae, south of Taihape.
Taihape's St Joseph's Catholic School principal Peter Hijazeen is among those calling for changes to SH1, from the Rauma Rd intersection through to Winiata Marae, south of Taihape.
A Taihape school and marae, with support from the local council, are pleading for speed restrictions on a stretch of State Highway 1 the community says is dangerous.
A community consultation was held on July 19 at St Joseph’s Catholic School in Taihape, in conjunction with Winiata Marae, about requestinga reassessment of the traffic environment on SH1, from the Rauma Rd intersection through to Winiata Marae, south of Taihape.
There have been about 22 crashes on the stretch of road between 2014 and 2023, according to the SH1 Road Safety Report, with five recorded crashes in the past five years.
The community wants NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA) to place a speed restriction on SH1 just south of Winiata Marae into Taihape, accompanied by effective electronic warning signs to alert motorists to the presence of a school, marae, residential areas and frequent turning traffic.
St Joseph’s principal Peter Hijazeen, supported by Jordan Winiata from Winiata Marae, wants the speed limit reduced to 50km/h around the intersection, school frontage and marae access, and a maximum of 80km/h from south of Taihape to Winiata Marae.
They would also like innovative and technological solutions to reduce speed during key times and a full reassessment of the road design and layout, including consideration of a turning bay for northbound traffic turning into Rauma Rd.
Hijazeen said the stretch of road was vital for the Taihape community as it was used by children, families, elderly people and visitors.
“The current open road speed limit of 100km/h is inappropriate and unsafe for such a significant and heavily used community corridor,” Hijazeen said.
“The issue is there, it can be seen, it can be felt. Usually, if the community feels the danger, the Government should respond equally regardless of what other priorities are.
“People are dying, there are fatalities, there are serious injuries and there is a threat of a mistake that could lead to the death of anyone - why do I need to wait for that to go to action?”
“The issue is there, it can be seen, it can be felt," says Taihape's St Joseph's Catholic School principal Peter Hijazeen.
Hijazeen, who was appointed principal in Term 4 last year, said people were not only concerned about the speed or road design; they were also worried about the train line that crossed the highway around the corner as it had no barriers.
He stressed the importance of making people the priority in any situation.
“I understand how increasing speed can develop the economy but the economy cannot function without people who are living,” Hijazeen said.
Rangitīkei Mayor Andy Watson said the issue needed to be dealt with.
“The safety of people from Winiata Marae into Taihape really concerns me.
“There is difficulty turning in there, but worse is the Rauma Rd corner where there is no pullover area, sightlines are poor and there is a railway crossing - there’s a huge amount going on,” Watson said.
“There has been a history of accidents and I’d hate to see action having to be taken as a result of a fatality.”
Watson said this was not a new request but something the council had asked for on numerous occasions, with the last request being within the past two years.
NZTA director of regional relationships Linda Stewart said NZTA acknowledged the community concerns from St Joseph School and Winiata Marae and had been in contact with the marae to discuss options.
Short-term options discussed included installing marae signs, which have been installed in other parts of the country alongside state highways.
Stewart said NZTA’s focus was on implementing variable speed limits outside schools with gates on state highways by July 2026 and implementing speed changes linked to state highway projects, including intersection speed zones and seasonal speed limits.
“NZTA has now added this stretch of road to the speed review register to be considered between now and 2027 - speed reviews are dependent on available funding and prioritisation,” Stewart said.
“Any speed review will include consultation with the local community and key stakeholders, and involve technical and safety assessments, and a cost benefit disclosure statement to inform decision-making.”
NZTA would consider whether minor safety improvements were also needed but they would be subject to obtaining funding, Stewart said.
The next steps for Hijazeen are to sign the joint letter from the marae and school, and round up more signatures from parents and the community before consulting with Watson and sending the letter to NZTA.
The Rangitīkei District Council is writing to NZTA to endorse the marae and school’s concerns.
“We are absolutely keen to support them and see where we get to,” Watson said.
