Burnout marks along Arawa Cres, Tokoroa, after a boy racing event. Residents are calling on the council to lower the speed limit and install judder bars.
Burnout marks along Arawa Cres, Tokoroa, after a boy racing event. Residents are calling on the council to lower the speed limit and install judder bars.
The speed limit on an urban South Waikato street has local residents up in arms.
A group of 16 residents have raised safety concerns about Tokoroa’s Arawa Cres and Pukeko Place, which is in a 50km/h zone, saying the area was notorious for accidents, near misses, speeding and boy racing.
Victoria Arapeta, a spokeswoman for the Arawa Cres & Pukeko Place resident collective, said the problems had been going on for more than 30 years.
“They use [the street] like a motorway, people are zooming around. One person died opposite my house and many of my neighbours – and myself – ended up with cars in their fences. We had enough.
“I’m worried about my mokopuna and the elderly living here. It’s not safe.
When the council adopted its Speed Management Plan earlier this year it decided not to adopt the recommendation of staff to lower speed limits in the area, based on a report by consultancy firm LMC.
South Waikato Mayor Gary Petley also responded to the residents group with a letter, seen by the Waikato Herald, outlining the council’s rationale.
“Under the current South Waikato District Council Speed Management Plan (SMP), adopted by council on January 31, 2024, the priority focus areas for speed reduction are outside of schools, marae, early childhood centres and roads identified as high risk,” the letter reads.
“During the drafting of the SMP, Arawa Cres did not fit within one of the priority focus areas.
“Data from the crash analysis system drawn from police crash reports shows over the last 10 years (2014-2024) there have been no fatal crashes and two serious crashes on Arawa Cres.
“These formed part of a total of nine accidents recorded during this period of which only three records suggested speed was a factor.”
In April 2023, the council received a Speed Management Plan – Technical Assessments report from consultancy firm LMC which included a recommendation to “install a permanent 30km/h speed limit on the full length of all roads to the south of Balmoral Drive between State Highway 32 and the railway line. Roads include ... Arawa Cres ... Pukeko Place.”
It also included a recommendation to “consider installing multiple pedestrian crossing facilities ... on Arawa Cres at various locations to provide pedestrian connection to the reserve area and assist with speed management”.
When the council adopted the Speed Management Plan on January 31, elected members voted to remove the 30km/h speed limit for urban areas, except for within 110m of schools, marae or childcare centre gates.
In favour were councillors Hamish Daine, Marie Farrell, Rebekah Garner, Thomas Lee, Kerry Purdy, Sandra Wallace and Petley. Those against were Bill Machen, Hans Nelis and Josiah Teokotai.
Murphy said he understood the residents’ concerns about speeding in the area.
“But when it comes to an enforcement [of speed limits] that’s a police issue.”
In response to the residents’ concerns, he said the council had set up vehicle-counting devices that also measure speed but it was still waiting on the data.
South Waikato Mayor Gary Petley says Arawa Cres did not fit within one of the council's priority focus areas for lower speed limits. Image / Google Street View
The data would allow the council to make decisions about which roads needed traffic calming measures and which roads were “high priority” locations, he said.
The Waikato Herald also approached Petley for comment.
“[The decision to take it out] was made based on advice we were given from roading engineers,” Petley said.
“It’s also not just a matter for us, it goes to NZTA who review it and make sure we got it right.
“A lot of what the residents perceive, the speeding, the hoons on bikes, falls under police.”
Those responses did little to appease the resident’s collective.
