A "reduce speed" sign on the Napier-Taupō Road/SH5. Photo / Warren Buckland
A "reduce speed" sign on the Napier-Taupō Road/SH5. Photo / Warren Buckland
Residents and community leaders are making last-ditch attempts to stop lower speed limits on the highway between Napier and Taupō.
They held a meeting with MPs and Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency last week. The speed limit on most of the road is set to change from 100km/h to 80km/h from February 18.
Local advocate Kiri Goodspeed was underwhelmed.
"The meeting on Friday was slightly disappointing from a community point of view," she says.
"There was nothing new or important to report back, in that NZTA appear to be immovable on their decision."
"There are other mechanisms available to us," Goodspeed says.
"That would be a public inquiry, it would be an injunction in the High Court, a judicial review in the High Court and a formal complaint through NZTA and then on to the Ombudsman."
Waka Kotahi had a different take on the meeting. Its director of regional relationships for the central North Island, Linda Stewart, says it was "valuable to have that time to engage with community representatives, as well as ministers, MPs, iwi and Hastings District Council".
She will meet with stakeholders again in a couple of weeks, to discuss how they can improve the highway's safety.
"We're beginning that process now to get their feedback on what they think should happen on that corridor. That could be intersection improvements, it could be road widening, could be better line markings, wider centre lines, side barriers."
Hawke's Bay regional transport committee has scheduled an extraordinary meeting on Thursday.
Members include some regional councillors, mayors and Stewart.
Chairman Martin Williams wants the committee to come up with a strong position on the speed-limit change.
"We're talking about a decision that affects the absolute lifeblood, you could even call it the aorta of our inter-regional transport network," he says.
He called for Hawke's Bay leaders to drive home their message to the Government.
"I think this region needs to stand up to Wellington and ensure that corridor gets the attention it deserves and that this region deserves."
Taupō Mayor David Trewavas says he backs Hawke's Bay leaders' anger over the decision, despite his council staff telling Waka Kotahi they supported the speed drop.
"Our biggest concern is for the business commercial operators ... they will take a bit longer to get to port, so I understand where they're coming from."
He says the council supported the reduction of speeds in certain areas, but not the whole highway.
A community meeting on the highway holdup is set for next week in Napier, but it may be put off due to Covid-19.
Auckland University associate professor in transport engineering Doug Wilson says a balance must be found between the added travel time and the societal cost of crashes.
"It comes down to what are we willing as a country and a society to value ... so an additional five minutes of travel time on that, compared to potentially a social cost of people being killed and seriously injured."
Traffic on the Napier-Taupō Road/State Highway 5. Photo / Warren Buckland
He says, according to Google Maps, the road's current average speed for vehicles is about 75km/h, so the lower limit would not make much difference for most drivers.
A police spokesperson says they support initiatives to ensure roads are safe, and that includes the setting of appropriate speed limits.
Minister of Transport Michael Wood also supports the change.
"We know SH5 between Taupō and Napier needs to be safer, which is why Waka Kotahi will be installing infrastructure upgrades and safer speeds along the route," he said in a statement supplied to RNZ.
"This will save lives and there is nothing more important than that to me as Transport Minister. We are prepared to make hard decisions to stop the carnage if it saves lives and stops more families in Hawke's Bay from being devastated."
