Top of the South Island

Between 2 April – 14 May 2025, consulted with road users, councils, communities and iwi on 2 ‘urban connector’ state highway locations, one in the Nelson region and the other in the Tasman region, as part of a proposal to reconfirm lower speeds. 

Background 

Under the Land Transport Rule: Setting of Speed Limits 2024 (the Rule), specified sections of state highway, categorised as urban connectors with lowered speed limits, are required to automatically reverse to their higher speed limit by 1 July 2025.  

NZTA received feedback on some urban connectors where the community was strongly in support of keeping the current lower speed limits.

Changing speed limits is a legal process. The Rule allows NZTA to set speed limits for roads under its control where there is alignment with the intent and requirements of the Rule. 

After careful consideration, NZTA undertook new formal reviews of speed limits on 2 sections of road on State Highway 6, one in Tasman region (Wakefield North) and one in Nelson (Marybank). The speed reviews included consultation, and considered safety, technical, cost benefit and other data, alongside community feedback to determine if we should reconfirm the lower speed limit.

More information on speed reduction reversals(external link)

Speed review outcome 

NZTA would like to thank people for providing feedback during consultation. View the consultation summary report to understand the consultation outcome and how community feedback was considered alongside technical, safety and economic information. 

Consultation

SH6 Marybank

Feedback showed strong support for the lower 60km/h speed limit with 76% of submitters saying it had positive impacts. The feedback showed a community desire to keep children safe on the road, especially when they are traveling by foot or bike, to and from school. Many residents also felt that a lower speed limit of 60km/h made it safer and easier for them to enter or cross over the state highway. Our safety and technical data aligned with these views.  

SH6 Wakefield North

Feedback was mixed, with 49% of submitters advising that reconfirming the speed limit to 60km/h had positive impacts. Some people living on the road find that the lower speed limit of 60km/h, makes it easier to cross the road by foot or get in and out of side roads via their vehicles. Our safety and technical data aligned with these views. This section of road has houses on both sides of the road and the road changes from rural to more residential with driveways accessing the state highway. There are side hazards that are better mitigated by a 60km/h speed limit, including intersection turning movements. There are also no flush medians or turning bays on the road, which means drivers and cyclists need to wait in the middle of the road to turn into side roads or driveways.  

Top of the South Island consultation summary report [PDF, 2 MB]

View the SH6 Marybank, Nelson Cost Benefit Disclosure Statement [PDF, 325 KB]

View the SH6 Wakefield North, Tasman Cost Benefit Disclosure Statement [PDF, 234 KB]

Approved speed limits

The following speed limits have been approved by the Director of Land Transport.