A number of proposals to review the speed limits for about 70 Hastings roads are to go out to public consultation, aimed at improving road safety through reducing the likelihood and severity of crashes.

Hastings District Council is undertaking the review after receiving numerous requests from the public to consider further amendments across other district routes during previous reviews in 2018 and 2019.

The proposed changes in some cases relate to entire roads, but mostly affect smaller portions of roads, such as Dartmoor Rd for instance where a proposed reduction from 100km/h to 80km/h applies to an 800m section of this 20km road.

As well as these public requests, council is also reviewing roads that the New Zealand Transport Agency has identified as the top death and serious injury reducing sites. Combined, these requests make up about three quarters of the total received.

The review also seeks to align Hastings with neighbouring councils’ speed limit change proposals, and account for road and land usage changes due to development.

Extensive consultation will be undertaken, both with directly affected residents, as well as the wider general public.

There will be direct consultation with other key stakeholders such as New Zealand Police, NZTA, NZ Automobile Association, Road Transport Forum and neighbouring councils.

The consultation is a legal requirement when changes are proposed to bylaws, and it is also important to get community feedback on the proposed changes to have the best chance of successfully achieving the safety improvements sought.

The public will be informed of the review through press and radio advertisements as well as across social media.

During the consultation period there will also be community meetings, or drop-in sessions, at locations where there are clusters of roads affected, and occupiers of adjacent impacted properties will be communicated with directly.

Hastings District Council today considered the requests and adopted the draft proposed changes to go to consultation, with the addition of eight roads in the Tukituki/Haumoana area.

The statement of proposal, which includes a full breakdown of all roads being consulted on, and feedback forms will be available online at myvoicemychoice.co.nz and in hard copy form at the Hastings District Council administration building and libraries from August 3 to September 14.

District planning and bylaws committee chairperson Kevin Watkins said that over the last two years a large number of public requests had built up that had not been able to be considered in previous reviews.

“The majority of these changes are public-driven, relating to improving the safety of our district’s roads, particularly in regards to speed.

“We look forward to hearing our community’s views and feedback on these changes and encourage people to have their say.”

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