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At its meeting next week, the Council will consider a report on the decision-making process for the Safer Speed Plan which sets out area wide changes to speed limits across Christchurch and Banks Peninsula.
The Safer Speed Plan is separate from the Safe Speed Neighbourhoods programme which was approved by the Council in July 2023.
The programme includes changes associated with schools as well as a few local area reductions which were identified in previous Annual and Long Term Plans.
The report going to the Council will not impact this work and the programme is currently being implemented in areas across Christchurch and Banks Peninsula.
These new speed limits have been certified by NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi and are listed on the National Speed Limit Register.
See the map of changes here.
“Three options relating to the process were considered, with it recommended that option three be progressed: the Hearings Panel process is paused until further guidance on any new rule is released by the Government,” the staff report says.
The draft Safer Speed Plan was developed to comply with the Land Transport Rule: Setting of Speed Limits 2022 which introduced a new way of setting speed limits.
The Council then consulted the community on the Plan in September and October 2023. More than 1,000 submissions were received by groups and individuals.
The Plan was due to go to a Hearings Panel and then the Council for a decision.
However, a letter from the new Minister of Transport outlined the previous requirement to develop a speed management plan and any deadlines under the Rule were revoked.
The Minister encouraged Councils to wait until the new Rule is in place before developing or submitting new plans and signalled a revised Rule will be in place by the end of 2024.
“A report will come back to the Council for its consideration of the next steps once staff have assessed the scope and impacts of any such new Land Transport Rule,” the report says.