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    Work to reverse speed limits begins in Far North

    Work to reverse speed limit changes in the Far North on six connector roads and outside 15 schools began last week and will roll out throughout the district over the next few weeks. Most changes, which include the installation of new signage will be active from Monday 30 June.

    Included in the works is the installation of two new raised crossings on Hone Heke Road in Kerikeri, where both the local primary and secondary schools are located.

    The speed limit changes are a government decision to reverse speed changes made by councils across the country. Under a government rule that came into effect in October 2024, councils must reverse speed limits implemented since 2020. At the time of its decision, it was widely reported that the government wanted to reverse all speed limit changes. That is not the case. The rule only reverses speed limits on roads that are ‘urban connectors’ and permanent 30kph reductions outside schools.

    Urban connectors are roads designed to facilitate the efficient movement of traffic between different areas within or between urban environments. While they may provide access to adjacent properties, their primary function is to connect neighbourhoods, towns, or major roads, supporting moderate to high traffic volumes and speeds. There are 23 local roads categorised as urban connectors within the district, of those, only six roads will have speed limits returned to 50km/h.

    The six Far North urban connector roads returning to 50km/h speed limits are:

    1. Franklin Street, Ōpua (30 to 50km/h)
    2. Hone Heke Road, Kerikeri (40-50km/h)
    3. Joyces Road. Paihia (30-50km/h)
    4. Landing Road, Kerikeri (40-50km/h)
    5. School Road, Paihia (30-50km/h)
    6. Waipapa Road, between Edkins Road and Landing Road (40-50km/h).

    The new rule also specifies that 30kmp/h speed limits outside school entrances should be replaced by variable speed limits. These are slower speeds applied only for 45 minutes during drop-off and pick-up times, or for a maximum of 10 minutes at other times.

    Permanent 30km/h speed limits are currently applied to 25 roadways outside 15 Far North schools. These will be reversed to the previous 50km/h by July 2025. Those schools are:

    1. Ahipara School
    2. Broadwood Area School
    3. Kerikeri High School
    4. Kerikeri Primary School
    5. Kohukohu School
    6. Moerewa School
    7. One School Global Campus
    8. Ōpua School
    9. Paihia School
    10. Riverview School
    11. Te Kura ā Iwi o Pawarenga
    12. TKKM o Taumarere
    13. Te Kura o Mātihetihe
    14. Te Kura Taumata o Panguru
    15. Umawera School.

    NZTA Waka Kotahi has agreed to provide total funding assistance of $503,000 for the changes. This is in line with the normal 71 per cent financial assistance rate NZTA provides to Far North District Council. The council has also set aside funds in the Long-Term Plan 2024-2027 to cover its share of implementing the speed changes.

    You can read more about the speed limit changes in agenda item 6.6 in the Te Koukou - Transport and Infrastructure Committee Meeting here.