Many Whangārei Heads drivers will be relieved that a 30km/h speed limit, which runs for about a kilometre through Parua Bay village, will be gone by next July. However, that's not soon enough for some, who want it gone before the busy summer tourist season. Photo / NZME
Many Whangārei Heads drivers will be relieved that a 30km/h speed limit, which runs for about a kilometre through Parua Bay village, will be gone by next July. However, that's not soon enough for some, who want it gone before the busy summer tourist season. Photo / NZME
A driver frustrated by a lengthy stretch of road with a 30km/h speed restriction through a part of Whangārei Heads wants authorities to “think outside of the box” for a way to relax the rule over summer – suggesting police even be asked not to patrol the area.
The speed restriction through Parua Bay village and past Parua Bay Primary School was actioned last December under the Government’s Road to Zero mandate, which included permanent 30km/h restrictions on roads with schools.
It was one of several other new speed restrictions imposed at Whangārei Heads, most due to winding, narrow roads and blind corners.
However, critics say the limits imposed were largely too slow, too numerous and too confusing.
Heads resident Jan Boyes said the restriction that frustrated her the most was the “stupid” one through Parua Bay village. She had taken her concern about it to Whangārei District Council (WDC).
Boyes said there was no reason why summer traffic, which included a huge influx of tourists, should have to crawl through the village 24/7 when the school was shut for seven weeks. She wanted the speed limit upped immediately, even if only for the summer and if only to 40km/h.
That said, she didn’t believe lowering the speed limit to 30km/h had been advantageous at any time. Drivers who had flouted the old speed limit for the area – 50km/h with a reduction to 40km/h during school hours – had similarly ignored the new one.
The only way the school and village could be properly safeguarded against speedsters would be if three elongated traffic islands meant to have been included as part of the planned Road to Zero changes were actually installed, Boyes said. (The council insists there is a budget for these in its 2024-2027 Long Term Plan and they are still being progressed.)
Some Whangārei Heads residents believe some of the restrictions imposed last summer were too numerous, confusing, and unnecessarily severe. Photo / NZME
In October, the new Government gave the go-ahead for specific Road to Zero speed limits to be reversed, including those for roads with schools. Under a new Setting of Speed Limits Rule, the New Zealand Transport Agency and territorial authorities have until July 1, 2025, to return speed limits on the relevant roads to what they were on December 31, 2019.
Roads with schools would be required to have variable speed limits with a lower speed limit to apply outside school gates during drop-off and pick-up times when the school is open for instruction.
WDC transportation strategy and planning lead Nick Marshall said: “We acknowledge the problem facing this community, especially during the busy summer beach season. Unfortunately, we are not legally able to simply lift a speed restriction – we need to follow the proper legal processes and at this stage those are not clear to us.
“We need to identify exactly which speed limit areas this directive refers to in our district (it is not a blanket removal), whether or not we must consult with the public (in many cases speed limits were sought by communities with formal consultation and hearing) and the programme costs and resourcing for physically rolling out the changes – changing road markings and signs etc.
“Bringing in the new speed limits was quite a complicated process, and removing them will be too. We think we will have a plan to bring to the council early next year.
“We are continuing to look for solutions, but this will not be a quick fix. The original intent of these speed limits was to make the roads safe, appropriate and nationally consistent. We did have community support for that, subject to revisions being made as needed once the system settled in. Unfortunately, the situation, and what is required of us, has changed and we are grappling with that.”
Boyes, however, said it was “silly” the rule couldn’t simply be changed. She urged the council to consider some “some out-of-the-box thinking“ – “even something outside your normal processes”.
She suggested the council impose a different speed limit on the zone by deeming the area roadworks or that police could be asked simply not to use that suggestion speed cameras set to 30km/h in Parua Bay school area until it was changed.
In response, Northland’s road policing manager, Inspector Anne-Marie Fitchett, said: “Police do not set speed limits but we are tasked with enforcing them, and prioritise enforcement according to risk.
“As such, our active enforcement around school zones will logically be focused on risk times.”
A recent social media post on the issue by Boyes sparked a big response and lively discussion. Critics of her view said it wasn’t worth quibbling over the mere seconds to be saved by changing from 30km/h to 40km/h.
A resident on Ritchie Rd, where the low-speed zone begins ahead of the village, said the restrictions had made the peninsula safer for everyone, including kiwi.
Sarah Curtis is a news reporter for the Northern Advocate, focusing on a wide range of issues. She has nearly 20 years’ experience in journalism, much of which she spent court reporting. She is passionate about covering stories that make a difference
