August 31, 2024 • 10 mins
The Government has proposed several changes to speed limits countrywide.
This week, proposing to change State Highway 1/76 in Christchurch and State Highway 1 north of Auckland from 100km/h to 110km/h.
Transport Minister Simeon Brown joins Tim Beveridge on The Weekend Collective to discuss.
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Speaker 1 (00:05):
You're listening to the Weekend Collective podcast from News talks'b.
Speaker 2 (00:10):
Yes, so let's rip into it. Hang on a minute,
I've just got to turn a page on the notes,
because there we go. Okay, the government has proposed speed
limit changes. You might have heard the news a few
days ago about christ Church and two major stretches of road,
but more recently in Auckland. The roads impacted would be
the christ Church Southern Motorway and State Highway one north
of Auckland, both proposed to move from one hundred k
(00:34):
an hour to one hundred and ten kilometers an hour.
To discuss that, Transport Minister Simeon Brown joins me. Now, Simeon,
good afternoon. Good afternoon, So firstly, with these decisions to
up the speed limit, do you base these decisions on
research evidence or just a hunch.
Speaker 3 (00:53):
It's based on the design standard that the road was
built to. These roads are built to a safe standard
of being able to drive at one hundred and ten
kilimeters per hour, and so we are going through the
process to have those speed limits applied, to have it
increased one hundred and ten kilimeters per so people can
travel quickly and safely, reduce their travel times and get
where they want to go along. There's major pieces of
(01:17):
infrastructure which have been built to that standard.
Speaker 2 (01:19):
Do you actually have to sort of consult with anyone
in particular or you just say, look, talk to the
people who design the roads and say, what was this
designed for?
Speaker 3 (01:27):
Well, that's a really good question. I mean, under the
current speed limit rule, there has to be a public consultation,
and so that is what's happening. The public will be
consultant on whether they want to have that speed limit
increased under the new proposed speed limit rule, which we've
just finished or we're just in the process of completing.
When it comes to roads that are built to one
(01:48):
hundred and ten kilimeters per hour, that will allow the
Director of Land Transport to just simply apply that speed
limit when the road opens, rather than to have to
go through this process of consulting, which is what's happening
at the stage.
Speaker 2 (02:01):
Are there many other roads on your horizon for speed
limit change.
Speaker 3 (02:06):
Well, all of the roads of national significance which are
built under the last National government, which were built to
one hundred and ten kilimeters per hour, where going through
the process at the stage to have their speed limits
increased to one hundred and ten kilometers per hour. So
the Company Expressway is another where they've just finished consultation
and hopefully a decision on that will be made shortly.
As you mentioned earlier, the christ Church Southern Motorway and
(02:29):
then the Pooho were to walk with Motorway, and of
course a couple of years ago the White Color Expressway
had its speed limit increased one hundred and ten. So
the government wants to have every road which is built
to that standard to be able to operate at that
standard to help reduce travel times, help people get where
they want to go quickly and safely.
Speaker 2 (02:45):
Just a quick, quick one. Are these roads still at
the standard for which they were designed or do we
then need to do some work on them.
Speaker 3 (02:51):
Some of them need some minor improvements made to them.
For example, the design standard requires there to be a
medium barrier in side barriers, and so for some of
them there's well, they all have median barriers. Some of
them have small part portions of the road which don't
have side barriers, so there may need to be some
minor improvements done on putting those side barriers in place.
(03:12):
Prior to that change happening. Those would just be some
small changes. It will happen prior to that spglement being applied.
Speaker 2 (03:20):
Because people are pretty passionate about speed limit changes. What
are road safety advocates say about this and what sort
of voice do they get in this discussion.
Speaker 3 (03:28):
Well, ultimately, these roads are built to a safe standard
of one hundred and ten kilometers per hour. So there's
a design standard which looks at what are the risks
at traveling at one hundred and ten kilometers per hour.
Those risks have been mitigated through the design of the road,
which includes the width of the lanes, medium barriers, side barriers,
other design standards in terms of the surface as well. Ultimately,
(03:50):
if the roads built to that standard, the government's viewers,
we should be able to operate them at that standard
to help reduce travel times so people get where they
want to go quickly and safely.
Speaker 2 (03:58):
How much what's the process from here once they change it?
You've got to change roads, signage and all that. Is
there any significant cost assesssaid with that? And what's the
time sort of scale for these things?
Speaker 3 (04:08):
Well, well, other than just updating the signage, there's some
side barreas which need to be built. There will take
a number of or a small portion of time to
get that done and in the Director of Land Transport
Edenstay then needs to sign it off. And so the
time frame under the current process is I said, we're
changing that process so that these roads can actually have
that speed limit applied from when they're open, not going
(04:31):
not a couple of years later, for example for per
Hoider Walkworth. But under the current process, it will take
about six months following the consultation for that new speed
limit to be applied.
Speaker 2 (04:42):
So that that's what the new time will be. Is
that what you just said, No.
Speaker 3 (04:46):
That's what that's what it will be under the current
speed limit rule. Okay, what we wanted, what the government
wants to do is where a road is built to
one hundred and ten kilimeters per hour, such as the
per Hoider Walkworth Motorway, we want it to be able
to open at one hundred and ten kilometers per hour.
There's a lot of people traveling on that road right
now wondering why it's not operating at one hundred and ten. Well,
(05:07):
because there's a very convoluted rule in place. We have
to go through a public consultation, the Director has to
sign it off Ultimately it's built to that standard, it
should be to operate from that standard from the day
it opens.
Speaker 2 (05:18):
How long is that going to take to change that process?
Speaker 3 (05:22):
Well, we've just finished finished public consultation on that rule change.
That's the rule which also includes reversing all of the
blanket speed limit changes the last government put in place.
We're hoping to finalize that by the end of this
month and then get that in place so that is
well underway.
Speaker 2 (05:37):
What happens Where are we at with the suburban street changes.
Of course, we know in Auckland we've been that sort
of blanket speed limit reductions down to thirty When are
those going to pop back up?
Speaker 3 (05:48):
So that's all part of the rule change that we
are hoping to finalize the end of this month, by
the end of September. That includes reversing all the thirties
back to fifties, all of the arterial roads back to sixty,
and also some of those state highways which had their
speed limit dropped to eighty, such as the State Highway
two between Caton and Featherstone, and reversing that back to
(06:08):
one hundred. So that rule will be will be put
in place by the end of this month, and then
it will take a number of months for those signs
to be then updated and those speed limits be reverted.
Speaker 2 (06:20):
Do you have to when you do pop these speed
limits back up from thirty to fifty? Do you have
to a company that with any sort of safety campaign
as well? For those who might have just got this
false sense of security.
Speaker 3 (06:31):
Well, ultimately, if you travel down a lot of these
roads which have gone from fifty to thirty, you know,
for example Weymouth Road and Manjudewa, it's very hard to
see anyone they're actually traveling at thirty kilometers per hour.
A lot of these speed limits are reduced by a
blanket changes, and actually people aren't following those rules, and
so what we're actually the message we're sending is actually
(06:54):
the wrong one at the moment. So by reversing it
back to a reasonable speed limit, we'll be making sure
that we can then focus on compliance. This government is
investing significantly into road safety, particularly focusing those high risk
behaviors such as drugged driving and drug driving, where over
fifty percent of fatalities are caused by people drug or drunk,
(07:17):
and so you really need to focus on the significant
causes of destin serious injuries on our roads rather than
just simply slowing down law abiding citizens.
Speaker 2 (07:26):
Have you got any particular fines in your sights for
different offenses? Were noticed that the fines have gone up
for parking disabled spots one hundred and fifty to seven
hundred and fifty dollars. Are there particular punishment punishments? I
can't think of the right word for it. Sanctions that
you're looking at revising.
Speaker 3 (07:42):
Well, we have in the government policy Statment on Transport
said that we as a government will be reviewing fines
and penalties for things like drug drive and drunk driving,
including using your cell phone and speeding offenses. We are
out of line with most countries, particularly with Australia when
(08:02):
it comes to those offenses. Our government wants to focus
on enforcement to be those high risk behaviors. But it's
something we will be reviewing at some point over the
next twelve months and then looking at what those should be. Ultimately,
any decision we need to go through go through cabinet.
Speaker 2 (08:18):
Just quickly. It's New Zealand first Private Members Bill to
get rid of Eukland Transport. Maybe a slightly more nuanced question,
have you got some sympathy with that idea and are
there any plans for reform of that organization.
Speaker 3 (08:34):
Well, we share the view that there needs to be
reform of Auckland Transport. Fundamentally, the organization hasn't been reflecting
what Aucklanders want, what Aucklanders need. They've been too focused
on Actually, I think increasing congestion in Auckland with things
like speed bumps in lane bus stops slowing people down,
(08:56):
and that's frustrating Aucklander is so change must happen. I'm
working with the Mayor, Wayne Brown on what that change
will be. What we're looking at, what roles and responsibilities
should be in different parts of whether it's Auckland Transport
setting the Regional Land Transport Plan, in a range of
other things. Because ultimately we want to have more democratic
(09:16):
accountability for transport decisions and Auckland. That's the outcome we
want now and that's the that's the outcome we're going
to be doing something.
Speaker 2 (09:23):
Well, I guess just to dig into that, just one
more question, perhaps because Wayne Brown's tweet is his support
of that bill, I understand, is there any chance you
guys might actually pick up that New Zealand First bill
and run with it or you will you come up
with someone yourself, your own sort of thing and consultation and.
Speaker 3 (09:39):
Well, ultimately any decisions we make as the government will
go through go through the Cabinet, which include New Zealand
First and Act, and it will look at all of
the elements which are included in terms of you know,
what roles and responsibilities should Auckland Transport have. How do
we have more democratic accountability of decision making. But it's
not just about shifting responsibilities from one part of Auckland
(10:02):
Council to another part. It's actually making sure that we
have more democratic accountability so that the decisions being made
around Transport and Auckland are actually aligned with what Auckland
does think. That's the focus that I've got and it's
working very closely with the Mere to make sure that
is what we achieve.
Speaker 2 (10:18):
Excellent. Just on international matters, did you manage to watch
the rugby at all?
Speaker 3 (10:21):
Or unfortunately not?
Speaker 2 (10:25):
Oh no, well okay we at least you know the result. Okay,
I appreciate your time, same in Thanks very much, thank you,
Bye bye. That's Simeon Brown, Minister of Transport.
Speaker 1 (10:35):
For more from the Weekend Collective, listen live to news
talk ZEDB weekends from three pm, or follow the podcast
on iHeartRadio
You're listening to the Weekend Collective podcast from News talks'b.
Speaker 2 (00:10):
Yes, so let's rip into it. Hang on a minute,
I've just got to turn a page on the notes,
because there we go. Okay, the government has proposed speed
limit changes. You might have heard the news a few
days ago about christ Church and two major stretches of road,
but more recently in Auckland. The roads impacted would be
the christ Church Southern Motorway and State Highway one north
of Auckland, both proposed to move from one hundred k
(00:34):
an hour to one hundred and ten kilometers an hour.
To discuss that, Transport Minister Simeon Brown joins me. Now, Simeon,
good afternoon. Good afternoon, So firstly, with these decisions to
up the speed limit, do you base these decisions on
research evidence or just a hunch.
Speaker 3 (00:53):
It's based on the design standard that the road was
built to. These roads are built to a safe standard
of being able to drive at one hundred and ten
kilimeters per hour, and so we are going through the
process to have those speed limits applied, to have it
increased one hundred and ten kilimeters per so people can
travel quickly and safely, reduce their travel times and get
where they want to go along. There's major pieces of
(01:17):
infrastructure which have been built to that standard.
Speaker 2 (01:19):
Do you actually have to sort of consult with anyone
in particular or you just say, look, talk to the
people who design the roads and say, what was this
designed for?
Speaker 3 (01:27):
Well, that's a really good question. I mean, under the
current speed limit rule, there has to be a public consultation,
and so that is what's happening. The public will be
consultant on whether they want to have that speed limit
increased under the new proposed speed limit rule, which we've
just finished or we're just in the process of completing.
When it comes to roads that are built to one
(01:48):
hundred and ten kilimeters per hour, that will allow the
Director of Land Transport to just simply apply that speed
limit when the road opens, rather than to have to
go through this process of consulting, which is what's happening
at the stage.
Speaker 2 (02:01):
Are there many other roads on your horizon for speed
limit change.
Speaker 3 (02:06):
Well, all of the roads of national significance which are
built under the last National government, which were built to
one hundred and ten kilimeters per hour, where going through
the process at the stage to have their speed limits
increased to one hundred and ten kilometers per hour. So
the Company Expressway is another where they've just finished consultation
and hopefully a decision on that will be made shortly.
As you mentioned earlier, the christ Church Southern Motorway and
(02:29):
then the Pooho were to walk with Motorway, and of
course a couple of years ago the White Color Expressway
had its speed limit increased one hundred and ten. So
the government wants to have every road which is built
to that standard to be able to operate at that
standard to help reduce travel times, help people get where
they want to go quickly and safely.
Speaker 2 (02:45):
Just a quick, quick one. Are these roads still at
the standard for which they were designed or do we
then need to do some work on them.
Speaker 3 (02:51):
Some of them need some minor improvements made to them.
For example, the design standard requires there to be a
medium barrier in side barriers, and so for some of
them there's well, they all have median barriers. Some of
them have small part portions of the road which don't
have side barriers, so there may need to be some
minor improvements done on putting those side barriers in place.
(03:12):
Prior to that change happening. Those would just be some
small changes. It will happen prior to that spglement being applied.
Speaker 2 (03:20):
Because people are pretty passionate about speed limit changes. What
are road safety advocates say about this and what sort
of voice do they get in this discussion.
Speaker 3 (03:28):
Well, ultimately, these roads are built to a safe standard
of one hundred and ten kilometers per hour. So there's
a design standard which looks at what are the risks
at traveling at one hundred and ten kilometers per hour.
Those risks have been mitigated through the design of the road,
which includes the width of the lanes, medium barriers, side barriers,
other design standards in terms of the surface as well. Ultimately,
(03:50):
if the roads built to that standard, the government's viewers,
we should be able to operate them at that standard
to help reduce travel times so people get where they
want to go quickly and safely.
Speaker 2 (03:58):
How much what's the process from here once they change it?
You've got to change roads, signage and all that. Is
there any significant cost assesssaid with that? And what's the
time sort of scale for these things?
Speaker 3 (04:08):
Well, well, other than just updating the signage, there's some
side barreas which need to be built. There will take
a number of or a small portion of time to
get that done and in the Director of Land Transport
Edenstay then needs to sign it off. And so the
time frame under the current process is I said, we're
changing that process so that these roads can actually have
that speed limit applied from when they're open, not going
(04:31):
not a couple of years later, for example for per
Hoider Walkworth. But under the current process, it will take
about six months following the consultation for that new speed
limit to be applied.
Speaker 2 (04:42):
So that that's what the new time will be. Is
that what you just said, No.
Speaker 3 (04:46):
That's what that's what it will be under the current
speed limit rule. Okay, what we wanted, what the government
wants to do is where a road is built to
one hundred and ten kilimeters per hour, such as the
per Hoider Walkworth Motorway, we want it to be able
to open at one hundred and ten kilometers per hour.
There's a lot of people traveling on that road right
now wondering why it's not operating at one hundred and ten. Well,
(05:07):
because there's a very convoluted rule in place. We have
to go through a public consultation, the Director has to
sign it off Ultimately it's built to that standard, it
should be to operate from that standard from the day
it opens.
Speaker 2 (05:18):
How long is that going to take to change that process?
Speaker 3 (05:22):
Well, we've just finished finished public consultation on that rule change.
That's the rule which also includes reversing all of the
blanket speed limit changes the last government put in place.
We're hoping to finalize that by the end of this
month and then get that in place so that is
well underway.
Speaker 2 (05:37):
What happens Where are we at with the suburban street changes.
Of course, we know in Auckland we've been that sort
of blanket speed limit reductions down to thirty When are
those going to pop back up?
Speaker 3 (05:48):
So that's all part of the rule change that we
are hoping to finalize the end of this month, by
the end of September. That includes reversing all the thirties
back to fifties, all of the arterial roads back to sixty,
and also some of those state highways which had their
speed limit dropped to eighty, such as the State Highway
two between Caton and Featherstone, and reversing that back to
(06:08):
one hundred. So that rule will be will be put
in place by the end of this month, and then
it will take a number of months for those signs
to be then updated and those speed limits be reverted.
Speaker 2 (06:20):
Do you have to when you do pop these speed
limits back up from thirty to fifty? Do you have
to a company that with any sort of safety campaign
as well? For those who might have just got this
false sense of security.
Speaker 3 (06:31):
Well, ultimately, if you travel down a lot of these
roads which have gone from fifty to thirty, you know,
for example Weymouth Road and Manjudewa, it's very hard to
see anyone they're actually traveling at thirty kilometers per hour.
A lot of these speed limits are reduced by a
blanket changes, and actually people aren't following those rules, and
so what we're actually the message we're sending is actually
(06:54):
the wrong one at the moment. So by reversing it
back to a reasonable speed limit, we'll be making sure
that we can then focus on compliance. This government is
investing significantly into road safety, particularly focusing those high risk
behaviors such as drugged driving and drug driving, where over
fifty percent of fatalities are caused by people drug or drunk,
(07:17):
and so you really need to focus on the significant
causes of destin serious injuries on our roads rather than
just simply slowing down law abiding citizens.
Speaker 2 (07:26):
Have you got any particular fines in your sights for
different offenses? Were noticed that the fines have gone up
for parking disabled spots one hundred and fifty to seven
hundred and fifty dollars. Are there particular punishment punishments? I
can't think of the right word for it. Sanctions that
you're looking at revising.
Speaker 3 (07:42):
Well, we have in the government policy Statment on Transport
said that we as a government will be reviewing fines
and penalties for things like drug drive and drunk driving,
including using your cell phone and speeding offenses. We are
out of line with most countries, particularly with Australia when
(08:02):
it comes to those offenses. Our government wants to focus
on enforcement to be those high risk behaviors. But it's
something we will be reviewing at some point over the
next twelve months and then looking at what those should be. Ultimately,
any decision we need to go through go through cabinet.
Speaker 2 (08:18):
Just quickly. It's New Zealand first Private Members Bill to
get rid of Eukland Transport. Maybe a slightly more nuanced question,
have you got some sympathy with that idea and are
there any plans for reform of that organization.
Speaker 3 (08:34):
Well, we share the view that there needs to be
reform of Auckland Transport. Fundamentally, the organization hasn't been reflecting
what Aucklanders want, what Aucklanders need. They've been too focused
on Actually, I think increasing congestion in Auckland with things
like speed bumps in lane bus stops slowing people down,
(08:56):
and that's frustrating Aucklander is so change must happen. I'm
working with the Mayor, Wayne Brown on what that change
will be. What we're looking at, what roles and responsibilities
should be in different parts of whether it's Auckland Transport
setting the Regional Land Transport Plan, in a range of
other things. Because ultimately we want to have more democratic
(09:16):
accountability for transport decisions and Auckland. That's the outcome we
want now and that's the that's the outcome we're going
to be doing something.
Speaker 2 (09:23):
Well, I guess just to dig into that, just one
more question, perhaps because Wayne Brown's tweet is his support
of that bill, I understand, is there any chance you
guys might actually pick up that New Zealand First bill
and run with it or you will you come up
with someone yourself, your own sort of thing and consultation and.
Speaker 3 (09:39):
Well, ultimately any decisions we make as the government will
go through go through the Cabinet, which include New Zealand
First and Act, and it will look at all of
the elements which are included in terms of you know,
what roles and responsibilities should Auckland Transport have. How do
we have more democratic accountability of decision making. But it's
not just about shifting responsibilities from one part of Auckland
(10:02):
Council to another part. It's actually making sure that we
have more democratic accountability so that the decisions being made
around Transport and Auckland are actually aligned with what Auckland
does think. That's the focus that I've got and it's
working very closely with the Mere to make sure that
is what we achieve.
Speaker 2 (10:18):
Excellent. Just on international matters, did you manage to watch
the rugby at all?
Speaker 3 (10:21):
Or unfortunately not?
Speaker 2 (10:25):
Oh no, well okay we at least you know the result. Okay,
I appreciate your time, same in Thanks very much, thank you,
Bye bye. That's Simeon Brown, Minister of Transport.
Speaker 1 (10:35):
For more from the Weekend Collective, listen live to news
talk ZEDB weekends from three pm, or follow the podcast
on iHeartRadio
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