Slower speeds for 300-plus local Far North roads are discussed at Far North District Council’s February 2024 meeting.
Photo: LDR / Susan Botting

Far North mayor Moko Tepania has hit out at the minister of transport ahead of his council deciding to lower speed limits for more than 300 local roads.

Far North District Council (FNDC) is pushing ahead with its up to $800,000 Kerikeri and Bay of Islands slower speed plans despite incoming Minister of Transport Simeon Brown in mid-December announcing changes potentially affecting these.

Brown is removing the former government’s mandate that councils, as local road controlling authorities (RCAs), have to bring in speed management plans – and as a consequence slower speeds – and get these to the government by March.

“With all due respect to the minister of transport, also our minister of local government … he is causing kōrero across the country in council chambers as we all await his high majesty’s rules on high so that we can have better direction on what the heck we need to do,” Tepania, who is also Local Government NZ’s Northland board member, said.

In response, Brown said mandatory requirements for speed management plans were part of the coalition government’s first 100-day plan.

Brown would not specify when details of the government’s slower speed changes would be revealed.

“I’m receiving further advice on drafting the new rule and will have more to say on that shortly,” Brown said.

He said removing the mandatory requirements gave him time to put together a new rule, which in conjunction with safety, also incorporated economic impacts including travel times and taking road users’ views into account, alongside those of local communities.

Far North Mayor Moko Tepania says Minister of Transport and Local Government Simeon Brown is causing consternation for councils with changes to rules around slower speeds locally.
Photo: Supplied / Kelly Stratford via LDR

FNDC’s slower speeds move hit a speed bump on 15 December with the minister’s announcement, which came on the cusp of the council getting underway with the project.

However, at the council’s first ordinary meeting of the year, on 8 February, it decided to still go ahead with the project.

“This is one of those ones where … I’m feeling a little bit rebellious today, so I’m going to vote in favour of this one [to go ahead with the plans],” Tepania said at the meeting.

Far North deputy mayor Kelly Stratford said FNDC’s decision to proceed was about the locally-based council making the decision, rather than the government deciding what happened.

Incoming slower speeds for 300-plus Far North roads are about local government making decisions locally, says Far North District Council deputy mayor Kelly Stratford.
Photo: Supplied / LDR

The council had this power under the Local Government Act.

“We set the speed plans, not the minister,” Stratford said.

The council move has been welcomed by vocal Far North slower speed campaigner and Kapiro Rd resident Niall Mayson, when informed of it by Local Democracy Reporting Northland.

He said it was pleasing to see the local in local government decision-making, rather than the council deferring to central government.

Far North slower speed campaigner Niall Mayson welcomes slower speeds decision but wants action on the plans.
Photo: Supplied / LDR

“I am now looking forward to the slower speed being rolled out as soon as possible,” Mayson said.

He said many communities were involved, including more than 2000 people affected by the soon-to-be lowered (from 100km/h to 70km/h) Kapiro Rd speed limits.

The council decision to go ahead came after 50 minutes of meeting debate.

Kerikeri councillor Ann Court said progressing with the plan, ahead of the government’s change, put more than $200,000 of FNDC ratepayers’ money towards the project at risk.

Proceeding with the up to $800,000 worth of signs needed, only to find some were no longer required or needed to be altered, would be a “profligate use of precious ratepayers’ dollars”, she said.

Court wanted to pause the plans until details came through.

“There is nothing to be lost in asking for this matter to lie on the table until the new rule is out,” she said.

Changes to council’s proposed slower speed rules around some Northland schools are in the spotlight under new government plans.
Photo: Northern Advocate / Michael Cunningham via LDR

Tepania said he was aware there was a potential risk of money being wasted by deciding to go ahead without the change details.

However, he said the minister’s signalled changes were not going to cost ratepayers’ money or the project’s government contribution.

Tepania said new conditions for lowered speed limits around schools would be the most likely difference.

These would see new 30km/hr speeds around schools put in place at specific times, such as school pick-up or drop-off, rather than 24/7 as is currently the case.

Waipapa councillor Steve McNally said he preferred to hang on even for a month, until the council knew exactly what the minister did.

“There’s no need to rush this,” McNally said.

Court and McNally both also represent FNDC on Northland’s heavyweight regional transport committee.

Councillor Babe Kapa said it was the council’s responsibility to support all those in the community who had put forward their kōrero on the speed changes.

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