Kuku, Horowhenua — Local iwi, whānau, and residents from Kuku and Manakau are standing in strong opposition to the decision to raise the speed limit from 80 km/h to 100 km/h on a hazardous section of State Highway 1. This stretch runs directly past Ngāti Wehi Wehi Marae, Ngāti Tukorehe Marae, a Kōhanga Reo, and sacred urupā.

The decision, made without meaningful consultation with mana whenua or the local community, has sparked widespread concern for the safety of tamariki, kaumātua, and all who travel this road daily.

“This is not just a road — it’s part of our whakapapa,” said Catherine Manning, a local resident and whānau member of Ngāti Tukorehe Marae.

“Our marae are sacred. Our children walk this road to learn and grow. Increasing the speed here is reckless and disrespectful.”

Community members have voiced their fears:

“I’ve seen too many close calls outside the Kōhanga,” said Whaea Paddy Jacobs. “Cars already fly past — and now they want to make it legal to go even faster? It’s terrifying.”

“We’ve buried people because of this road,” said Whaea Yvonne Wehipeihana Wilson, a long-time Kuku resident. “We don’t want to bury any more. This decision puts lives at risk.”

“We hear the screech of brakes almost every week,” added Catherine Manning. “We teach our tamariki to be careful — but who’s teaching the drivers to slow down?”

According to the Ministry of Transport, 94 deaths in 2023 were linked to speed-related crashes across Aotearoa. The Horowhenua District — including the Kuku to Manakau corridor — has been identified as a high-risk area for serious and fatal crashes, particularly on rural state highways.

Residents report that this section of SH1 is poorly lit, lacks safe pedestrian crossings, and is heavily used by tamariki and kaumātua accessing the marae and Kōhanga Reo.

The community is calling on Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency and local authorities to: 

• Immediately reverse the decision to increase the speed limit

• Engage in genuine consultation with mana whenua and local residents.

Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency recently held a survey with the wider New Zealand public which guaranteed local voices were silenced and local impacts were ignored.

Public Protest Planned

A peaceful protest will be held on Monday, 2 June 2025, on the section of State Highway 1 between Ngāti Tukorehe Marae and Ngāti Wehi Wehi Marae.

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