The stretch of road next to Hatfields Beach, where the speed limit is rising from 50 km/h to 70 km/h. Photo: Google Maps
Increasing the speed limit right next to a beach north of Auckland that has little room for pedestrians to move is "completely illogical", according to a local councillor.
The stretch of road on the Hibiscus Coast Highway has gone from 50km/h back up to 70 km/h ass part of the government's policy to reverse Labour's speed limit reductions.
The government claims the reduction slowed Kiwis and the economy down, but some locals have complained about the rise in the speed limit, saying the stretch of highway between Orewa village and Hatfields beach is busy with campervans, boats and people crossing the road from the beach to the reserve.
In a letter to locals, Auckland Transport said it did not think the change to 70 km/h was "desirable or appropriate", but it was legally obligated to make the change.
Auckland councillor for Albany John Watson told Checkpoint the speed increase was completely illogical at this particular location.
"You've got the road that is really close to the beach, you've got pedestrians, kite surfers, people with kids going across to the other side of the road, so it's probably the last place where you want the speed to be increased.
"There are other places outside that area that can be increased, where ironically enough it's slower on the open road than it is through the beach area. But the beach area is just dangerous, it doesn't make any sense."
Photo: AFP
He said there was an increasing amount of people going across that stretch of road, and they did not have a lot of room to move.
"It's a pretty restricted corridor. So I think it's pretty dangerous, you have a lot of overseas people who have campervans who camp down there, and they're going across to the toilets and stuff, so there is just too much pedestrian traffic right by a beach to really justify that kind of increase."
Watson said there were six different speed limits across six kilometres of road in that area.
"It goes at 50, then down to 30 through the town zone, out to 50 again, then into 70 - including past the beach - then reduces to 60 when it should actually be increasing, then finally it gets to 80 at the Waiwera Bridge.
"And it's changed multiple times since 2020, so it's really confusing, you stick your head out wondering what the speed limit is going to be today, and that's for local people, so goodness knows what it's like for people passing through."
He said feedback from locals had been strongly against the raising of the speed limit.
"The word that just keeps coming up is 'illogical', it's just not practical, and I don't think there would be too many people who would disagree with that."
Transport Minister Chris Bishop has responded to concerns about the increased limit, saying a Road Controlling Authority like Auckland Transport could reverse it - provided the process met requirements.
Those requirements included Auckland Transport producing a cost benefit disclosure statement and undertaking public consultation for a minimum of six weeks.
Auckland Transport said that based on the level of feedback from the community, it will begin that process by carrying out an initial data collection, then seek local board endorsement to consult on re-lowering the speed limit later in the year.
But Watson said it did not feel like a pragmatic response to the issue.
"It's getting rolled out across the country and there might be any number of areas where it's working, but in instances like this, it doesn't make any sense."
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