- By Laura Kvigstad, Auckland Council reporter, funded by New Zealand on Air
An Auckland councillor has urged caution against increasing speed limits that could endanger public safety after the Government approved new rules.
At a recent meeting of the Auckland Council’s Transport, Resilience and Infrastructure Committee, Auckland Transport (AT) presented its regular update.
The update came on the back of the Government approving new speed limit rules, reversing the previous government’s reductions.
By July 2026, under the new rules schools will have variable speed limits of 30kph in urban areas and 60kph in rural areas during peak times.
National highways may allow speeds of up to 120kph.
It prompted councillor Richard Hills to ask if AT believed there was a case for the council not to follow the Government’s direction.
“Is it correct what the Minister [of Transport, Simeon Brown] said that if we prove there is a safety risk we don’t have to switch them,” Hills asked.
AT’s Public Transport and Active Modes director Stacey van der Putten said she believed there were some decision-making powers for the council in certain circumstances under the new rules.
“The team is still very much working through what those new rules mean,” van der Putten said.
Hills responded that the council should not reverse any speeds if there is evidence of harm.
“That is on us and on the AT board, those deaths and serious injuries that will come.
“There will be more people dead and hurt if we reverse them all based on our evidence,”
Hills said.
Chair of the Transport, Resilience and Infrastructure Committee, councillor Andy Baker, cut off any further discussion.
“We will get the opportunity to talk about speed rules when that comes.
“I don’t think it’s fair to lump that on to the staff today,” Baker said.
