During December 2020 and January 2021 Council consulted with the community on proposed amendments to some speed limits across the district. On 17 February 2021, Council adopted the proposed recommendations, including the following speed limit amendments for the Elstow-Waihou School Intersection:

• Elstow intersection (Tautiti Road, Bowler Road, Ngutumanga Road & Mellon Road) - 60km/hr vehicle activated variable speed limit intersection.
• Elstow intersection (Tautiti Road, Bowler Road, Ngutumanga Road & Mellon Road) - A permanent 60km/hr speed limit between 8.25am-9.00am and 2.55pm-3.15pm on school days.

Waka Kotahi (New Zealand Transport Agency) did not agree to this amendment to the speed limit and would not endorse this change, meaning we can’t change the speed limits outside Elstow-Waihou School on 3 May, 2021 as planned. As a result, on 28 April 2021, Council resolved to rescind their earlier decision for the Elstow-Waihou School intersection.

Safety around schools is one of our top roading priorities, and we will revisit this as soon as Waka Kotahi’s current consultation process is complete and new rules are enacted (NZTA expects this to be by the end of 2021). 

 

More information on the Waka Kotahi Proposal

Currently Waka Kotahi is consulting on  Land Transport Rule: Setting of Speed Limits 2021 (Rule). This Rule is proposing “rural schools have a maximum of 60 km/h (variable or permanent) speed limit” and urban schools have “a 30 km/h (variable or permanent) speed limits, with the option of implementing 40 km/h speed limits if appropriate”.

You can read more about this proposal or make a submission to their proposals at nzta.govt.nz/speedrule2021