Schools with permanent 30kmh speed limits have to revert to variable ones. Photo: RNZ / Samuel Rillstone
The New Plymouth mayor has described compulsory changes to speed limits outside schools as "ideologically-driven nonsense" that will cost ratepayers hundreds of thousands of dollars to implement and jeopardise child safety.
The government is requiring streets outside schools with permanent 30kmh speed limits revert to variable speed limits, allowing speeds of 50kmh outside pick-up and drop-off times by July 2026.
Rural roads that were outside schools would be required to have variable speed limits of 60kmh or less.
New Plymouth Mayor Neil Holdom told an extraordinary council meeting the move was baffling.
"This is a bit of policy that is ideologically driven nonsense. There is no scientific basis for these moves whatsoever."
To comply with the law, councillors voted to "consider" variable limits outside 15 schools at a cost of $287,000 - on the condition new electronic signage and road markings were 100 percent transport agency funded.
A council report said implementing variable speed limits outside all 27 affected schools in the district would cost $920,000.
Not complying with the law could result in council facing an unspecified penalty which could involve being fined.
NPDC currently had no budget for the changes in its annual plan and as yet NZTA had not committed any funding for installing the new speed limits.
Holdom said the council's decision would put the ball back in the government's court.
New Plymouth mayor Neil Holdom. Photo: RNZ / Robin Martin
"It's really a message to the minister that it's your move Minister Bishop. If this is something you believe in then you can pay for it and we will begrudgingly comply because we take our role as governors seriously."
Holdom said the fear was that potentially the safety of some of the district's most vulnerable people was being compromised.
"This law is a nonsense, this is ... over-reach."
Councillor Amanda Clinton-Gohdes, who abstained, said reversing the speed limits was gut wrenching.
"My stomach turns at the thought of having to roll back the changes we made with 89 percent community support.
"I resent that a government which campaigned on localism is making us go against the wishes of the vast majority of our community.
"I resent that this government is forcing us to do something that is not supported by any data or any evidence or any experts.
Amanda Clinton-Gohdes Photo: RNZ / Robin Martin
"I resent that so far this government is making us and our community pay for the privilege.
Clinton-Gohdes said just because it was a law did not make it right.
Under the Setting of Speed Limits Rule signed by previous Transport Minister Simeon Brown in September 2024, NZTA and councils were required to reverse all speed limits lowered since January 2020 on several categories of specified roads back to their previous limits.
In January, the current Transport Minister Chris Bishop said the new rules around schools would prioritise those times when children were most vulnerable - drop off and and pick up periods.
"Throughout the world, 50kmh is used as the right speed limit to keep urban roads flowing smoothly and safely. The evidence on this is clear - comparable countries with the lowest rates of road deaths and serious injuries, such as Norway, Denmark, and Japan, have speed limits of 50kmh on their urban roads, with exceptions for lower speed limits."
Transport Minister Chris Bishop. Photo: RNZ/Nathan McKinnon
Principal of Inglewood Primary Juliet Vickers wrote to each councillor ahead of today's decision urging them to maintain the current 30kmh speed limit outside the school and reject the proposed variable limit.
"We are deeply concerned about the increased risk to student safety.
"A fixed 30kmh limit provides clear, consistent messaging crucial for student safety. Variable limits create confusion and uncertainty, increasing the likelihood of drivers exceeding safe speeds and putting children at greater risk of accidents.
Vickers said the proposed change was already causing anxiety amongst the school community.
"The current fixed limit provides a sense of security that a variable limit undermines, potentially discouraging active travel to school.
"Child safety must be paramount. School zones require clear, unambiguous, and consistently enforced speed limits. The current 30kmh limit provides this."
A report prepared for councillors said initially changing only 15 schools was "best practice" and would have the least impact.
"These schools are unlikely to have vulnerable road users walking to school outside of peak times," council transport and safety engineer David Brown said.
"Changing these schools to variable would allow for the free flow of traffic outside of peak times while not increasing the risk to vulnerable road users."
Some of these schools were on streets that had traffic calming in place meaning motorist were already travelling at 30kmh.
Brown's report said if variable speed limits were introduced outside all 27 of the district's schools there would be an increased safety risk.
"For some schools, there is a potential increase in risk to vulnerable road users who visit or access schools outside of the variable times on a road that has a higher speed limit than what is currently in place."
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