Ngā putuputu pātai | FAQs

Speed management is about achieving safe and appropriate speeds that reflect road function, design, safety and use. We need people and goods to move reliably and safely around our transport network and we need to see a reduction in deaths and serious injuries. This Speed Management Plan (SMP) outlines a 10-year vision for a whole-of-network approach to speed management that will move us towards the vision of no deaths or serious injuries on Rotorua roads.

The new national Land Transport Rule: Setting of Speed Limits 2022 (‘the Rule’) provides a revised framework for setting speed limits across New Zealand through the formation of Speed Management Plans that address safe and appropriate speed limits and supporting infrastructure.  

 Under the Rule, Road Controlling Authorities (RCAs) like Rotorua Lakes Council are required to:

  Develop a 10-year Speed Management Plan (SMP) addressing safe and appropriate speed limits and supporting infrastructure

  Submit an SMP to the Regional Transport Committee (RTC) to produce a regional SMP (from here, the RTC, RCAs and regional council will publish a draft regional SMP for public comment and input)

  Implement safe speed limits round schools:

• 40% by 30 June 2024
• 100% by 31 Dec 2027

 (To avoid creating community confusion, Council officers are proposing to look at reducing speed limits around all schools in Rotorua by December 2024).

At a minimum, Rotorua Lakes Council is required by legislation to reduce speed limits to 30km/h for 300 metres outside of all school entrances.

The new Rule removes the need for a speed limit bylaw. All speed limit data is required to be migrated to the National Speed Limit Register maintained by Waka Kotahi. This central source will be the legal instrument for speed limits.

Speed management plans aim to reduce speed-related crashes and associated harm, creating a safer environment that encourages healthy transport modes such as walking, cycling and public transport.       

 Social and financial benefits of reducing speed limits:

  Reduced harm on our streets and roads.  Fewer people being killed or injured.

  Reduced social and economic costs of road injuries and deaths. 

  Streets safer for people, especially children, to walk and cycle. More people walking, cycling and taking the bus means:

• Reduced air and noise pollution;
• Less congestion;
• Reduced carbon emissions (helping us to mitigate climate change to help meet national emissions targets - refer to NZ Emission Reduction Plan);
• Young people can move about independently and parents are more confident about children doing so;
• Improved health and wellbeing;
• Transforming our urban and village streets and residential estates from being car dominated to people-friendly spaces;

Road to Zero 2020-2030, New Zealand’s Road Safety Strategy, sets New Zealand on a path to a vision where no one is killed or seriously injured on our roads. 

Setting speed limits to safe levels is a key tool being used to great effect in many countries with world-leading road safety records.

Improving safety is the main priority. Reducing speed limits to reduce the impact of crashes is especially necessary on streets and roads where children are present and in high density areas like the CBD.

Our environments have changed since speed limits were originally set. There has been significant growth and development and we’re continuing to see increased use of different modes of transport. 

The speed limits on 93% of Rotorua roads are higher than the safe and appropriate speeds recommended by Waka Kotahi.  Of the roads with a proposed new speed limit of 20-50 km/h, 86% currently have speed limits higher than the safe and appropriate speeds recommended.

Chances of a pedestrian being killed or receiving a serious injury decrease by half when speeds are reduced from 50kph to 30kph. These values were obtained by incorporating pedestrian fatal and pedestrian severe injury data as collated by Scott and Mackie “Speed/injury risk curves” (Mackie Research & Consulting, 2018).

Because a large portion of journeys happen along our ‘Urban connector’ roads, trip times for drivers will increase by less than two minutes in most cases.

Calming our streets can help create a different urban environment where people can more effectively share the space with vehicles. Walking and cycling becomes safer and more attractive for all.  

For example, a trip from Thomas Crescent to Rotorua Library would likely increase by approximately 37 seconds.

Urban connectors (our larger and busier streets with higher traffic volumes e.g., Sunset Rd, Iles Rd, Clayton Rd) are proposed to remain at 50km/h. 

Other local streets (residential areas where people, especially children, should be able to walk and cycle safely e.g. Pandora Ave, Warwick Dr) and CBD are proposed to be set to 30km/h. Streets with existing 20 km/h speed limits will remain as is. You can view the interactive map for proposed speed limits at rotorualakescouncil.nz/smp.

A: Permanent speed limits are in force except when a seasonal, variable, or temporary speed limit is in force (e.g. around road works).  Speed limit signs are commonly positioned where a change in a permanent speed limit occurs.

Electronic road signs are commonly used to display a variable speed limit, for example where road use or conditions may change.   A common misconception among motorists is that the speed displayed on a variable speed sign is an advisory limit, when in fact it is mandatory.  

All drivers are legally obliged to drive to the conditions and within the posted speed limits. Once speed limits are registered in the National Speed Limit Register, they can be enforced by Police.   

Although Police currently own and operate road safety cameras in New Zealand, these are in the process of being transferred to Waka Kotahi. Planning is underway to decide on locations that will have the greatest impact and the number of cameras required to deliver the most effective outcomes in supporting people to travel safely.  

Our draft SMP includes a speed monitoring plan.

Council has an ongoing programme of works that includes upgrading/improving safety standards of local roads. Council prioritises infrastructure in high risk or high impact areas.

Council receives frequent service requests about traffic calming for local roads and prioritises infrastructure interventions in high risk or high impact areas. Council is also continually extending our shared path network.

Council also delivers an ongoing community road safety and travel demand management programme which includes a range of facilitation and promotion activities targeted at road user groups.  This includes, for example, cycle skills for children and adults, driver training, and promotion of public transport and active commute options.

State highway speed limits are set and managed by Waka Kotahi as the road controlling authority. Waka Kotahi recently consulted on its draft Interim State Highway Speed Management Plan which includes speed limits around schools located on state highways.  Changes on state highways are detailed in that plan rather than Council’s proposed SMP.   

Many of our larger, busier roads (referred to as urban connectors) would remain at 50km/h under the proposed plan.  Because a large portion of journeys happen along these ‘urban connectors’, trip times for drivers will increase by less than two minutes in most cases.

For example, a trip from Thomas Cres to Rotorua Library would likely increase by just under one minute.

The following journeys have been estimated as further examples:

Note: The above times are indicative only and based on the difference between existing operating speeds and ‘assumed’ operating speeds once new speed limits are implemented. Actual travel time increases will vary depending on factors such time of day and traffic flows etc.

Calming our streets can help create a different urban environment where people can more effectively share the space with vehicles. Walking and cycling becomes safer and more attractive for all.  

A: Following consultation, Council proposes the speed limit changes to take place:

A: Speed limits are determined by considering several factors such as operating speeds, traffic demands, usage, crash data and infrastructure risks. For details, refer to the Waka Kotahi Speed Management guide: Road to Zero edition (2022)

A: In New Zealand, 60% of fatal and 71% of injury crashes involve speed – a $4.6b per annum cost of social and economic effects. Locally, 20% of all crashes involve speed. 

Regardless of the cause of the crash, speed is the difference between someone being unharmed or being seriously injured or killed.

The Waka Kotahi Communities At Risk Register 2012-2023 states there have been 430 deaths and serious injuries (DSI) in the Rotorua District in the last 10 years.  On local roads (excluding state highways), there have been 196 DSI in Rotorua in the last 10 years:

• 131 of these DSI were in the urban area
• 56 were vulnerable roads users (walking, cycling, mobility scooters, skateboarding)
• 129 were youth. 28 youth (under 18) DSI were walking or cycling
• Locally, 20% of crashes involve speed.

Our road safety surveys show one of the main reasons families drive is because they don’t feel safe letting their children walk or bike to and from school.

 Data collected through the monitoring of operating speeds will inform future road treatments such as crossing upgrades and gateway treatments for schools.

A: Council is asking for feedback on a draft Speed Management Plan for Rotorua that proposes to set safe and appropriate speed limits on most of our streets within the next couple of years.  Refer to our interactive map to see the proposed changes on individual streets.

While Council is unable to change the mandated 30km/h limit around schools, it would like your feedback on the proposed additional aspects of the draft plan. The feedback collected will be presented to Councillors to consider as part of decision-making on the proposed plan. For more information or to have your say visit: rotorualakescouncil.nz/smp

A: Consultation runs from Monday 17 July 2023 until Friday 18 August, 2023 with a number of ways to provide feedback including online, via email and post, on Facebook. 

 Council will consider all feedback received in the completion of a final proposed speed management plan to be presented to Council for approval.

A: The Rule requires engagement with Māori in the development of Speed Management Plans. Council has reached out to Māori partners early in the planning process and will continue to work with iwi to reduce the impacts of unsafe speed limits on Māori communities.

A: Foundational work is already underway to achieve a more vibrant and liveable inner city, which is consistent with Council’s strategic objectives, including more inner city living and enhanced hospitality services, office and general recreational activities. Reduced speed limits will create a safer and more attractive space for active commuting and help encourage a higher level of foot traffic. 

A: Currently no Rotorua Schools have 20km/h, or even 30km/h speed limits around them. Most have 50km/h speed limits. The new Land Transport Rule: Setting of Speed Limits 2022 requires Council to implement 30km/h speed limits round schools.

International best practice indicates that 30km/h is the desirable safe and appropriate vehicle speed on streets where high numbers of active road users, especially children, are present. 

International evidence shows the most effective way to improve pedestrian safety is to reduce vehicle speed. On average, a person is twice as likely to be killed or seriously injured when hit by a vehicle travelling at about 50km/h than a vehicle travelling at about 30km/h.

School-aged children are at greater risk of accidents and reducing speed can improve safety outcomes. Reducing speed limits in our neighbourhoods will enable streets where people feel safe to walk and cycle.

Our road safety surveys show one of the main reasons families drive is because they don’t feel safe letting their children walk or bike to and from school.

Under the Rule, road controlling authorities must use reasonable efforts to implement appropriate safe speed limits round all schools by 31 December 2027, with an interim target of at least 40% of all schools completed by 30 June 2024. These changes must be built into the proposed speed management plans. 

(To avoid creating community confusion, Council officers are proposing to look at reducing speed limits around all schools by December 2024).

A: A reasonable walking catchment for primary school students is 1km. By implementing a 1km buffer zone of 30km/h around schools, more areas of high use are also included (early childcare education centres and kohanga reo as well as local shopping areas). By using a 1km buffer we can extend the safety and environmental benefits for our community. 

A: While early childhood centres are not included specifically in the Speed Rule, the adoption of a 1km zone 30km/h speed limit on many of our local streets would mean that users of these centres would also benefit from speed limit reduction. This also applies to local shopping centres, parks and reserves and other facilities where the community may want to walk and bike. 

A: There are 48 schools in our district with seven located on state highways (Whakarewarewa School, Rotorua Boys High School, Rotorua Girls High School, Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Ruamata, Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Rotoiti, Upper Atiamuri School and Whangamarino School). Speed limits around these schools are included in Waka Kotahi’s Draft State Highway Speed Management Plan.

A: Yes. The 20km/h speed limit when passing a stationary school bus in either direction is a road rule and is not affected by the speed management plan process.

A: Waka Kotahi advises that variable speed limits around schools should be considered only when all other alternatives have been exhausted. In urban areas, the estimated safe and appropriate speeds now include a significantly larger proportion of recommended permanent lower speed limits. Therefore, the safe and appropriate speed limit for an urban area is much more likely to align with the safe and appropriate speed limit required outside a school. 

The use of electronic variable speed limit signs outside all school entrances would incur a significant cost, in the vicinity of $6m.

A: Rural roads are included within the 93% of Rotorua roads with speed limits higher than the safe and appropriate speeds recommended by Waka Kotahi.  Council is required to implement speed limit reductions around both urban and rural schools under the Rule.