Whakatāne District Council will ask NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi to revert sections of State Highway 30 back to 100km/h.

The change is likely to go ahead unless there is clear public support for the present 80km/h limit.

The council will also ask that the section between Whakatāne Bridge and Gateway Drive remain at 60km/h.

At a meeting of the council’s infrastructure and planning committee on Thursday, councillors were asked whether they wanted to make a submission to the agency’s public consultation, which closes on March 13.

Councillor Julie Jukes moved that the council submit it would like to see speed limits revert to 100km/h in some areas. Mayor Victor Luca seconded the motion.

Cr Gavin Dennis argued against raising the speed limit because it “went against the whole concept of trying to reduce death and serious injury”.

Cr Gavin Dennis argued against raising the speed limit.

“I believe we should retain the current speed limits. These current speed limits were put in by the previous Government after a lot of research of facts and figures from Waka Kotahi. This current reversion doesn’t come up with any facts or figures that provide a reason they should go back, except it might save you a minute.”

Dennis, who is Matatā Volunteer Fire Brigade’s chief fire officer, said he believed there had been far fewer crashes since the change to 80km/h.

Jukes said she agreed with some of what Dennis said, but it was about saving more than just one minute.

“It’s now 15-20 minutes extra to get to Rotorua.”

As an example of the loss of productivity this caused for businesses, she mentioned a business with four employees travelling back and forth between Whakatāne and Rotorua that had lost 10 hours of productivity a week.

Cr Julie Jukes says the lower speed limits are causing productivity loss for businesses.

While Dennis and Cr Ngapera Rangiaho voted against submitting for raising the speed limits, the remaining councillors supported the motion.

The Government announced in January it would be reversing blanket speed limit reductions brought in since 2020.

However, the only section of road on which the speed limit will be automatically reversed under the new rules is from the Whakatāne Bridge to the Gateway Drive roundabout. This section has a 60km/h speed limit, which will revert to 80km/h by July 1.

Whakatāne councillors voted to include in their submission that they wished to retain the 60km/h speed limit between the Whakatāne Bridge and Gateway Drive. Only Cr Wilson James said he would prefer to keep that section of the highway at 80km/h.

Several other sections of State Highway 30 between Whakatāne and Tikitere are part of the present consultation and will revert to 100km/h if there is no public support to retain the 80km/h speed limit.

These include 8.25km between Shaw Rd and Awakeri, 8.62km between Awakeri and Te Teko, 16.1km between Te Teko and Lake Rotomā, and 4.51km between Lake Rotomā and Lake Rotoehu.

Sections not included in the consultation that will retain their present speed limit are Te Teko east, the Rotomā hills from the western Kawerau turn-off to west of Oxford Rd, Rotomā, Hinehopu to Hauparu and Hauparu to Tikitere.

Also included in the council’s submission was that the 80km/h area between The Hub and Shaw Rd be extended to just west of Thornton Rd.

This was raised as the district council plans to change Thornton Rd between the intersection with SH30 and the Blueberry Corner curves to 80km/h.

Lesley Immink also requested that the council’s continued support for a roundabout at the intersection of Mill Rd be included in the submission.

Jukes asked the council to provide feedback to Waka Kotahi about the difficulty of making a submission on the department’s website.

- LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.