New speed reviews under the 2024 Rule

A new approach to setting speed limits on New Zealand roads that supports a targeted approach to speed management has been finalised by the Government and came into force on 30 October 2024.

Under the new Land Transport Rule: Setting of speed Limits 2024 (the Rule), future setting of new speeds and reviews of current speed limits by all Road Controlling Authorities (RCAs) must ensure safety and economic impacts including travel times, costs and Deaths & Serious Injury (DSI) rates are taken into account.

This means RCAs including NZTA need to prepare and publish Cost Benefit Disclosure Statements (CBDS), consider technical safety analysis and meet new consultation requirements that include consulting for 6 weeks with local iwi, councils, local road users including freight and communities. Once a decision is made, NZTA can then set the speed in the National Speed Limit Register (NSLR) and implement signage as well as any necessary related roadside improvements.

NZTA and other RCAs need to follow the same assessment and consultation process when setting a new speed limit for a road.

Guidance has been developed for RCAs (councils and NZTA) to interpret and apply the Rule.

Guidance for RCAs

Setting of speed limits rule 2024

NZTA’s future state highway speed management plans

From mid-2025 onwards, after completing the Rule’s mandatory speed limit reversals implementation programme, NZTA’s speed management priority is implementing variable speed limits outside of schools located alongside state highways, by 1 July 2026.

At the same time, we will be working on state highway project-related speed management proposals, including some intersection speed zones (ISZs).

Current and future community-requested speed limit changes will be listed on our register, and will be considered between now and 2027. 

Any proposed speed limit changes prioritised from the register will need to be aligned with the Rule and can only be progressed once funding is available to plan, consult set and implement a changed speed limit.  Note funding is limited this National Land Transport Plan 2024-27.

Longer term, targeted speed management plans will be considered as part of network planning, including safety, maintenance and capital works programming.  This will include a funding bid for the next National Land Transport Fund for 2027-30.

Note:

• Under the Rule, any outstanding (previously approved) speed limit changes not yet implemented, and any draft speed management plans (such as the Interim State Highway Speed Management Plan 2022), have no legal effect. Reviews started under both these scenarios, but not yet implemented, will need to be reconsidered.
• Any other speed limit changes on the specified road categories subject to reversals (e.g. transit corridors, rural, urban and interregional connectors), outside of the auto-reversals required under the Rule, cannot be implemented until 1 July 2025 onwards (i.e. after reversals are complete).