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New speed reviews under the 2024 rule

The Government’s Land Transport Rule: Setting of speed Limits 2024 (the Rule) supports a targeted approach to speed management on New Zealand’s roads..

Under the Rule, setting new speeds and reviewing  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 alongside community feedback.

This means RCAs including NZTA need to prepare and publish Cost Benefit Disclosure Statements (CBDS), consider technical and safety analysis and publicly consult for 6 weeks with local iwi, councils and road users including freight and communities. One of the factors that must be considered is alignment to the schedule of speed limit ranges per road category that are outlined in the Rule.

Once a decision is made and NZTA’s final speed recommendation is approved by the Director of Land Transport, 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 speed reviews

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 align 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.

Email speedmanagement@nzta.govt.nz to send information or a request to our team.