The New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) is considering a U-turn on 100-kilometre speed limits put in after they were reduced by the former Labour-led government south of Levin.
By Nick James of RNZ
Last year, State Highway 1 and State Highway 57 south of the Horowhenua town had speed limits increased from 80 kilometres per hour after the transporting agency was directed to consult on the changes.
Over half of the people who submitted backed upping the speeds, but many in the local community warned against the changes, including the local council.
During the period the road has had a 100 kilometre speed limit in place one person died in a crash.
When it was 20 kilometres lower between 2020 and 2025 no one died on the road.
NZTA has since announced it had opened consultation to put the speeds back down.
It would also put up variable speed limits outside Tukorehe Marae and Wehi Wehi Marae.
Waka Kotahi director regional relationships Linda Stewart told RNZ the reversal came from community concerns.
"NZTA has received a considerable amount of feedback from the local community, iwi and freight operators that the 100km/h speed limit is not appropriate in these locations."
Stewart said there had also been concern from the Speldhurst Country Estate on State Highway 75 and that a major expansion at the village meant it would soon accommodate more than 1000 residents.
Molly Page lived near State Highway 57 and said the speed limits should not have gone up.
"It is a dangerous piece of road and we know that because how many accidents have there been?"
Page said State Highway 57 travelled past the country estate Speldhurst which had elderly residents.
"As you get older it is just a fact that reaction times are much slower and putting that road up to 100 kilometres ... it is just unsafe."
Speldhurst Residents Committee chair Roger Parton was delighted by the proposal to change the speed limits back.
"Just watching the traffic going past at 100 kilometres and the big trucks going 90 [kilometres] and you have got people coming out of the retirement village onto the public road.
"It is a disaster waiting to happen."
Horowhenua Deputy Mayor David Allan said the speed reductions were "better late than never".
"It is a shame that they were reinstated to 100 kilometres in the first place, council opposed it at that time, and we welcome any proposal to reduce the speed limits."
Transport Minister Chris Bishop told RNZ the road was and is safe, but given the scale of development happening in the area NZTA had assessed that some sections of the highway may need lower speed limits.
In July RNZ reported Ngāti Tukorehe Tribal Committee chairperson Pikitia Heke said pleas to keep the stretch of highway at the 80km/h speed limit had "fallen on deaf ears".
At that time Alicia Miratana a descendent of Ngāti Wehiwehi and who lived in Manakau said speed affected how Wehi Wehi Marae operated.
"We have our kaumātua that no longer walk to the marae it is just too unsafe for them, we don't allow our tamariki to walk home from the marae it is not for them. But the biggest fear we have for Ngāti Wehiwehi is that we have a kōhanga reo on our marae."
Consultation would end April 9.
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