19263 (2025). Tangi Utikere to the Minister of Transport

19263 (2025). Tangi Utikere to the Minister of Transport: What criteria, if any, was applied by the NZTA when deciding which roads would keep their current lower speed limit?

Hon Chris Bishop: The Land Transport Rule: Setting of Speed Limits 2024 only requires speed limits on four categories of state highway (urban connectors, transit corridors, rural connectors, and interregional connectors) to automatically reverse to their previous higher speed limits if they have been subject to recent speed reviews, with their speed limits reduced since 1 January 2020. All other types of classes of state highway remain unchanged. NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA) carried out six weeks of public consultation on 49 sections of state highway between 30 January and 13 March 2025. The Land Transport Rule: Setting of Speed Limits 2024 requires that the NZTA measures levels of public support, in order to demonstrate public acceptance, defined as majority public support. The consultation result was the only factor the NZTA could take into account in its decision-making for these locations. For a full speed review in the future, feedback from both the local community and key stakeholders from consultation are considered alongside safety and technical data to help inform decision-making.