Frequently asked questions

Why did you set new speed limits?

We want people to feel safe when using these roads and there were a number of safety issues with the state highway. Concerns had also been raised by the community. They included:

• Rotorua Lakes Council, locals, community groups, businesses and a range of road user industry groups were concerned about unsafe speed limits in locations on SH5 and SH30 and they’d like to see more consistent speeds, with some lowered.
• On SH5, people are concerned about the speed between Hemo Road roundabout and just south of the Waipā State Mill Road. People told us it felt unsafe as there’s a blind corner and it’s busy with logging trucks and cars coming in and out of Waipā State Mill Road.
• Another concern raised was safety for tamariki at Whakarewarewa School. The school community and Board of Trustees have been concerned about tamariki walking to/from school, near a busy state highway.

Speed management is critical to reducing harm and is a key component of Road to Zero, Aotearoa New Zealand’s road safety strategy.

Even when speed doesn’t cause a crash, it’s what will most likely determine whether anyone is killed, injured, or walks away unharmed from that crash. When speeds are safe for the road, simple mistakes are less likely to end in tragedy.

What are the new permanent speed limits?

View the new permanent speed limits map [JPG, 1.7 MB]

How were those limits decided?

The speed review process involves numerous steps that help determine the speed limits we propose at consultation.

The first step is completing a technical assessment which considers the road itself, the traffic volumes, the crash history, and the way people are currently travelling on the roads.

Following the technical assessment, we undertook informal engagement with road user groups, members of the public, Rotorua Lakes Council, AA, and the Police. The feedback we received from engagement helped to determine if and what we will formally consult on for proposed speed limit changes.

During consultation we ask the community and road users for submissions on any external factors, we may need to be aware of. The consultation period ran for four weeks, between March and April 2021. Once consultation closed, we analysed the submissions and reviewed our technical assessment.

The consultation for the proposed speed limit changes is not a vote, it is about seeking valuable local and community input so that we can consider wider factors and context into our decisions.

For more information about how we reached these decisions, please read our consultation summary report.

Consultation summary [PDF, 1.4 MB]

The speed review process 

Setting new speed limits is a legal process, and Waka Kotahi as a Road Controlling Authority (RCA) is responsible for setting new speed limits on New Zealand’s state highways. We are guided by the Speed Management Guide, which is a national framework that helps RCAs make informed, accurate and consistent speed management decisions in their communities. We also need to adhere to the Land Transport Rule: Setting of Speed Limits 2017, which sets out the roles and responsibilities of the RCAs for reviewing and setting speed limits. 

The Speed Management Guide [PDF, 7.4 MB] 

Land Transport Rule: Setting of Speed Limits 2017

When do the speed limit changes come into effect and how are the public being notified?

The new speed limits take effect on Monday 3 October 2022.

The public will be notified of the new permanent speed limits through the newspaper, on the radio, on the Waka Kotahi website, and on social media.

How many crashes have happened on the route?

Between 2009 and 2018, there were 629 crashes, six people were killed and 26 were seriously injured on these roads. We need to do something to turn this around.

Will lower speed limits help reduce the number of crashes?

 Even when it’s not the cause of a crash, speed is the difference between someone being seriously injured, killed or unharmed.  If we’re going to reduce deaths and serious injuries on our roads, we need to address every part of the system. We need safe vehicles, safe roads and drivers that make safe choices. We also need safe speeds.

When speeds are safe for the road, simple mistakes are less likely to end in tragedy. Safe speeds are safer for everyone.

Safer speeds will also reduce the amount of time the road is closed due to crashes and reduce inconvenience to drivers.

Did you consult with the public on these changes?

Yes. Between March and April 2021 we consulted with the public on the proposed permanent speed limits. We received 206 submissions.

Read our consultation summary and view the submissions:

• Consultation summary [PDF, 1.4 MB]
• Submissions [PDF, 228 KB]