The Setting of Speed Limits Rule 2024 (the Rule) required all urban connector classified state highways with speeds lowered since 2020 to automatically reverse to their previous higher speed limit by 1 July, 2025.
After careful consideration of stakeholder and community feedback and past evidence of support for lower speeds on some urban connectors, NZTA opened new speed reviews on 16 sections and publicly consulted between 2 April and 14 May 2025. The speed reviews proposed reconfirming lower speeds in each location, instead of reversing to the higher speed on 1 July 2025.
Read more about the Section 11 Reversals exercise
These new speed reviews acknowledged the speed would briefly revert to the higher speed on 1 July (as required by law) but proposed immediately returning to the lower speed limit in the National Speed Limit Register. That meant there would be no change on the ground and the current speed limit could remain.
Each speed review met all the requirements of the Rule, including considering technical and safety analysis and a Cost Benefit Disclosure Statement alongside consultation feedback, before determining the final speed limit for these sections of road.
The Director of Land Transport has approved NZTA’s proposal to reconfirm lower speed limits on 13 of the 16 urban connector locations. The Director also approved NZTA’s decision to modify speed limits at 3 locations in the Waikato and Bay of Plenty regions, from what was originally proposed and consulted on.
This means current speed limits continue to apply from 1 July, noting some adjustments in the Waikato and Bay of Plenty regions.
Consultation summary reports are available below for each region. You can read what people said and how community feedback was considered alongside technical, safety and economic information.
| Region | Locality | Section of State Highway | Approx length (km) | Reversal speed limit by 1 July (km/h) | Approved speed limit from 1 July (km/h) |
| Northland | SH1 Kaitaia North | From north of Wireless Road to north of North Park Drive | 1 | 100/70 | 60 |
| Northland | SH1 Kaitaia 50 | From north of North Park Drive to south of North Park Drive | 0.29 | 70 | 50 |
| Northland | SH11 Te Haumi | From north of Smith Camp Road to south of Tohitapu Road | 1.06 | 80 | 50 |
| Northland | SH1 Moerewa | From east of Leaity Street to east of Sir William Hale Crescent east. | 1 | 70 | 50 |
| Waikato | SH1C Hamilton | From north east of Lorne Street to west of Howell Avenue | 2.8 | 80 | 60 |
| Waikato | SH26 Hamilton | From SH1C intersection to north east of Berkley Avenue | 0.65 | 60 | 50 |
| Waikato | SH1 Tūrangi | From near Gosling Grove to south of Te Arahori Street | 1.7 | 80 | 60 |
| Waikato | SH1 Tūrangi | From near Gosling Road to south of Waiotaka Road | 0.43 | 100 | 100 |
| Bay of Plenty | SH30A Rotorua |
From west of SH30/SH30A intersection to SH30A eastern termination point |
0.15 | 70 | 60 |
| Bay of Plenty | SH30 Whakarewarewa | South Rotorua - from south of Meade Street to east of Fenton Street | 0.55 | 60 | 50 |
| Bay of Plenty | SH30 South Rotorua | South Rotorua - from south of Scott Street to the SH30/SH30A intersection | 0.6 | 70 | 50 |
| Bay of Plenty | SH30 South Rotorua | From SH30/SH30A intersection northeast of Tarawera Road | 0.9 | 70 | 60 |
| Bay of Plenty | SH5 South Rotorua | From north of the SH5/SH30 roundabout to south of the SH5/SH30 Old Taupō Road/Hemo Road roundabout | 0.51 | 50, 80 | 50 |
| Gisborne | SH35 Okitu | From north of Sirrah Street to south-west of Wairere Road. | 2.59 | 70 | 60 |
| Gisborne | SH35 Gisborne | From east of Wheatstone Road to north-west of Coldstream Road. | 1.8 | 80, 70 | 60 |
| Manawatū - Whanganui | SH3 Whanganui | From north of Tirimoana Place to south of Turere Place | 0.77 | 70 | 50 |
| Top of the South | SH6 Marybank | From north east of Allisdair Street to south west of Atawhai Crescent North. | 1.79 | 100, 80 | 60 |
| Top of the South | SH6 Wakefield North | From north-east of Bird Lane to north-east of Franklyn Close | 0.8 | 70 | 60 |
| Canterbury* | SH1 Rakaia township | Rakaia township urban area | 1.1 | 70 | 50 |
*In addition, a new Intersection Speed Zone (ISZ) is also approved for SH1 Rakaia. See the Canterbury regional page for more information.
