These speed limits were set on State Highway 1 (SH1) from Templeton to Dawsons Road, just south of Christchurch, in 2021. In 2025, NZTA is consulting again to see if people support keeping the current 80km/h speed limit, rather than see it reverse to 100km/h.
The Setting of Speed Limits Rule 2024 requires some speed limits that were lowered over the past few years to be reversed to their previous higher speed limits. This location is affected. There are mixed views in the community today about the lower speed remaining permanently, so we’re consulting to understand whether the community wants the lower speed retained. Consultation is open 30 January to 31 March.
To have your say, visit:
Between December 2020 and February 2021, NZTA consulted with local community, iwi, businesses and stakeholders on a proposed lower speed limit for the stretch of State Highway 1 (SH1) from Templeton to Dawsons Road.
Significant changes had occurred at this location, including a new roundabout, which changed the driving environment. This meant the previous speed limit of 100km/h was no longer right for the road. With construction of the Christchurch Southern Motorway stage 2 project nearly complete and the Dawsons Road Roundabout fully functioning, the safer speed limit of 80km/h was a logical fit for the changed road layout.
The following speed limits took effect on 3 March 2021.
| Location | Former speed limit | New permanent speed limit from 3 March 2021 |
|---|---|---|
|
SH1 – northbound direction 275m from the end of the SH1 off-ramp exiting the Christchurch Southern Motorway to 200m south of Trents Road |
100 km/h | 80 km/h |
|
SH1 – southbound direction From 200m south of Trents Road to 25m from the start of the SH1 on-ramp entering the Christchurch Southern Motorway |
100 km/h | 80 km/h |
South and southwest Christchurch has seen significant growth over the past 10 years. A lower speed was needed to future-proof the road for increased traffic demand and to create a logical reduction in speed as drivers exit the new Christchurch Southern Motorway.
Due to motorway construction, this section of road had temporary speed limits in place for a couple of years. The lower speed limit will help regulate the speed of traffic travelling off the new motorway into the Templeton township and create consistency with speed limits on side roads.
In addition to a lower speed limit, diagonal markings on the edge of the road will be repainted and extended as a traffic calming technique to visually narrow the road, signalling that drivers need to slow down. The existing passing lane will remain in place and will be monitored by NZTA and local police for speed compliance, speeds while overtaking, and the number of passing vehicles.
Speed increases the likelihood of crashes and the severity of crashes when they happen. A small reduction in speed can make a big difference in improving safety on our roads.
Find out more about the SH1 Templeton to Dawsons Road speed limit change by reading the frequently asked questions.
Public consultation on the project was open for 6 weeks from 16 December 2020 to 1 February 2021.
As the consultation coincided with the holidays, we extended the feedback period from 4 to 6 weeks, to ensure everyone had a chance to have their say.
We received 58 submissions from stakeholder organisations and the public.
More information about the speed review process is available here:
