Auckland schools ‘shocked and confused’ by speed limit U-turn, adviser says

City councils across the country are pushing back against the government’s proposal to increase speed limits.

New boundary legislation is expected to be introduced by the end of September.

The government said scrapping blanket cuts to local streets – including around schools – on arterial roads and national motorways would boost productivity and economic growth.

Instead, Marlborough and Tauranga councils are pushing ahead with speed reductions, and Christchurch city councillors have expressed concern about the government’s proposal.

And on Thursday, Auckland Council’s transport and infrastructure committee voted overwhelmingly – 18 to three – to oppose the government’s directive.

Auckland councillor Richard Hills was one of those who voted against the speed increase.

He said Checkpoint Many councillors believe that as the area’s roads authority, they should have the right to make their own decisions about speed limits.

People thought the speed restrictions were blanket and had been imposed on local councils by the previous government, but that was not the case, he said.

“We had to review the safety of each of the roads (around) our schools and our town centres, but we put them in place after extensive consultation.”

In fact, about 80% of schools told the council they wanted permanent speed reductions around them.

The council was also reluctant to roll back speed limits because implementing them could cost them up to $12 million, he said.

“We would be happy to look at it if there are communities that are opposed to these changes or don’t believe (the lower speed limits) are working.”

However, councillors have heard “a lot of shock and confusion” from schools and communities who have supported the changes that have been implemented over time, he said.

“There were many groups that came to us with proposals, at this transportation committee… and last year when council unanimously supported the path forward on speed changes.

“There were students from Students Against Dangerous Driving talking about how the changes had made it safer for them to walk to school, to bike to school, to feel safer.”

The students also talked about accidents they had seen their friends in and the trauma it caused.

Although part of Transport Minister Simeon Brown’s proposal was that speed limits could vary depending on students’ school drop-off and pick-up times, many schools wanted permanent speed changes and this had been supported by Auckland Transport (AT), he said.

“All we are asking of the minister is that we have a choice, that AT can continue to do what… the evidence shows can be done there.

“What the minister is saying is that we need to spend all this money to undo these changes and just implement the plan that he wants.”

They were happy to look at cost-benefit analyses of increasing speed limits, but “all the evidence suggests that the economic benefits come from people not dying, not getting injured and not ending up in hospital,” Hills said.

Meanwhile, road safety advocates fear for children’s safety if speed limits are increased around school zones.

Brake New Zealand spokeswoman Caroline Perry said students needed to be protected throughout the day, including on the journey to and from school, particularly in high-density areas.

“Studies in Auckland have shown that 85 per cent of serious accidents around schools happen outside of children’s pick-up and drop-off times, so we’re not really focusing on the whole problem.”

Many schools spread across multiple sites prefer lower speed limits if children cross the road to different buildings between classes, she said.

Simeon Brown said he was surprised by the council’s vote.

“It’s a bit surprising that they want to support one of the most unpopular policies of the Labour Party, which was simply to slow people down and make travel more difficult and more inconvenient.

“I find it ironic that they want people to go to work in shifts at 4 a.m. and have to crawl at 30 km/h.”

However, Labour’s Auckland spokesperson Shanan Halbert said the Auckland Council vote was embarrassing for the government.

“When you look across Auckland, reducing speed limits has actually saved lives – a 30 per cent reduction in deaths since 2020 – and it’s embarrassing for the government to be told by Mayor Wayne Brown and his council that the decisions they’re making aren’t Auckland’s priorities.”