All sections of SH6 between Marybank and Woodbourne will be returning to 100km/h, including the winding section through the Whangamoas which had been lowered to 60. Photo: Max Frethey /LDR
Speeds of 100km/h are returning to State Highway 6 between Nelson and Blenheim despite a local community rejecting one of the increases in northern Nelson.
The New Zealand Transport Agency has finished consulting on 49 sections of the state highway network that were facing potential speed limit increases, and just six are remaining unchanged.
The changes are the result of the coalition government's updated speed limit rule that aimed to reverse the reductions which took place under the previous Labour administration.
Six sections of highway in the Top of the South, from Nelson's Marybank to Marlborough's Woodbourne, that were lowered in December 2020 were consulted on.
In each case, a majority of submitters favoured raising the speed limits from a mix of 60, 80, and 90km/h back to 100km/h. The increases must be implemented by 1 July.
Speeds through rural townships on the highway will not increase, and consultation is ongoing for the proposed increases in Marybank and Wakefield.
But the margin of opposition was narrow for the stretch of SH6 between Marybank and the beginning of the Whangamoas.
About 56 per cent of respondents wanted to increase the speed limit on that section.
The controversial proposed increase through the suburb of Marybank is still going through a its own consultation process and is separate from these increases. Photo: Max Frethey / LDR
However, more than two thirds of the respondents from the local community wanted the speed limit to remain unchanged from 80km/h.
New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) confirmed that under the government's rule, the speed limit decision could only consider the overall consultation response, with no weighting given to particular road user groups, and excluded both safety and economic considerations.
SH6 from Nelson to Blenheim was classified as high-risk before speeds were reduced, which led to a 93 percent drop in fatal and serious crashes.
In the 10 years from 2009 to 2018, 20 people died and 92 were seriously injured on the route.
Nelson MP Rachel Boyack slammed the decision, saying that a speed limit increase would result in more crashes.
"That's on the government," she said.
"If they want to make choices based on public opinion rather than evidence and science and safety for people, that is on them."
Labour MP Rachel Boyack says the decision to increase speed limits is disrespectful to locals. Photo: Max Frethey / LDR
Boyack said the lack of specific consideration given to the local community was "disrespectful" because people who lived in the area knew the road the best.
"It's their family members, their friends, who are the ones at risk."
A particular concern for her was the highway's "dangerous" intersection with Glen Road.
"We've had some pretty serious accidents on that corner and so, from a safety perspective, I don't think it's safe for it to be put back to 100(km/h)."
'Absolute nightmare' intersection
Resident Karenna Wood agreed with Boyack.
She lives on the intersection of Glen Road and SH6 which she described as an "absolute nightmare".
She was "hugely concerned" about the speed limit increase as she and her neighbours already have trouble entering and exiting their driveways due the speed of traffic, and she drives her children to their school bus stop because of safety concerns.
Other residents in the area are also concerned about the speed limit increase, believing the change would impact safety for motorists, cyclists, and children.
Jenny North said housing development in Todds Valley had made the area busier and that an increase to 100km/h was "madness", while Miriam Woon had seen many near misses and thought the speed limit change was "terrifying".
Todds Valley resident Debs Martin works in Marlborough and said she has encountered many crashes on the highway.
"It's outrageous - I'm really worried about people's lives."
All the residents indicated that there should be more weight given to the local community.
"It's really difficult when somebody from Wellington is making decisions based on data in front of them, rather than sitting in the road conditions locally," Wood said.
The region's joint transport committee had requested to keep the speed limits from Marybank to the Whangamoa Saddle unchanged.
Committee chair and Tasman's deputy mayor Stuart Bryant had concerns about the increases, from 80 and 60km/h back to 100, in that area and wondered if they were "a bit of a jump too far".
However, he was "quite comfortable" with the changes from 90 to 100km/h in Marlborough, though he didn't expect a significant economic benefit from the change.
Communities vs commuter traffic
Nelson mayor Nick Smith acknowledged the "natural clash" between local communities and commuter traffic, as well as the "trade off" of safety and economic impacts.
While he thought the Labour government had gone "too far" with the reductions, he said the coalition government risked overcorrecting and thought speed limits had been too politicised.
Smith thought it was appropriate for state highway speed limits to be set nationally.
Nelson mayor Nick Smith thinks speed limits have become too politicised. Photo: Max Frethey / LDR
Hira School principal Nic Moynihan was "relieved" the 80km/h limit was staying through the "busy" township and was looking forward to the school's government-mandated 30km/h variable speed limit being implemented next year.
However, she was concerned about the increased speed for children catching the school bus in the area.
"The higher the speed, the bigger the mess. If you've got school buses moving on and off the state highway when it's 100km/h, there is an increase of risk there."
Grant Haywood, the Fire and Emergency NZ district manager for Nelson Marlborough supported retaining the lower speeds specifically between Rai Valley and Hira.
In that area, FENZ data indicates a reduction in both total incidents attended and serious injuries since speeds were reduced.
"We have responded to numerous serious accidents that have caused trauma for our crews and the community," Haywood's submission said.
"Increasing the speed limit will likely exacerbate these risks rather than improve safety outcomes."
Rai Valley fire chief Nigel Patterson was personally undecided on the speed limit changes.
"A lot more people are impatient because the speed limit's down. But then if you take the speed limit up, are we going to have more crashes? I don't know."
Patterson did however think "it would be nice" if the windy road through the Whangamoas had been left at 60km/h.
Saving time and money
The increases were supported by some, however.
Jax Smith, managing director of general freight for Marlborough-based Renwick Transport was "really pleased" by the changes.
The trucking company makes about 50-60 round trips to Nelson a week.
"It's huge for us," she said.
"By drivers being able to consistently drive - whether that's a car or a truck - at their speed, we think that is going to, in the long run, save us time and money."
Smith said Renwick Transport was "really safety conscious" but truck cameras had recorded an increase of motorists growing impatient behind their vehicles.
"What it comes down to is drivers behind the wheel, and the decisions they make, not so much the speed at the end of the day."
Kyle Lightfoot, chair of the Automobile Association's Nelson District Council, echoed similar sentiments.
The AA supported raising the speed limits back to 100km/h, even though Lightfoot acknowledged that reaching that speed on some of the route was unsafe.
"The speed limit is not a target. We encourage all drivers to drive to the conditions; we want our roads to be safe."
LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.
