FAQs

The Land Transport Rule: Setting of Speed Limits 2024 is a regulation that outlines how speed limits must be set and managed across New Zealand. It came into effect on 30 October 2024 and replaces the previous 2022 version of the Rule.  

The Rule:  

• Sets national requirements for how Road Controlling Authorities (RCAs) (like Selwyn District Council) decide and implement speed limits.  
• Supports safer roads by ensuring speed limits are appropriate for the way roads are used and the risks involved.  
• Aims to balance safety, travel efficiency, and economic impacts, such as journey times and freight movement.  
• Allows RCAs to make targeted speed limit changes through a process called the Alternative Method, especially where urgent safety concerns exist or consistency is needed in specific areas.  

To ensure changes are robust and transparent, the Rule requires public consultation and engagement with key stakeholders before any new speed limits are set. Each proposed change must include a Cost Benefit Disclosure Statement that considers the safety benefits, potential travel time impacts, and implementation costs.   

Finally, any changes must be approved by the Director of Land Transport NZTA Waka Kotahi before they can take effect. This approach helps ensure speed limits are evidence-based, locally appropriate, and nationally consistent.   

While councils usually develop a full Speed Management Plan, the Rule also allows for targeted changes using the Alternative Method. This allows us to respond to urgent safety concerns or ensure consistency in areas experiencing rapid change, without waiting for the full planning cycle.

As required under the Rule, we are required to engage with the public and a number of key stakeholders and partners such as road users (including freight operators), mana whenua, schools, businesses and neighbouring road controlling authorities. Public consultation is a key part of the process.

Your input will help inform the final proposal. We’ll consider all submissions before making a recommendation to Council for their consideration and adoption. The final proposal, along with a summary of feedback and the required cost benefit analysis, will then be submitted to NZTA for approval.

Under the Rule, public feedback is a vital part of the decision-making process. If members of the public disagree with proposed speed limit changes, their views are considered alongside other inputs such as:  

• Safety evidence and crash data
• Cost Benefit Disclosure Statements, which assess the impact on safety, travel times, and costs  
• Feedback from key stakeholders like schools, freight operators, mana whenua, and neighbouring Road Controlling Authorities

The Council will consider all feedback before finalising the proposal. However, the Council also has a responsibility to align with the Rule’s objectives, particularly when there are clear safety risks or where consistency is needed in growing urban areas.  

Once consultation ends, the final proposal (including a summary of submissions) is submitted to the Director of Land Transport at NZTA, who decides whether to approve the changes. While public disagreement doesn’t automatically stop a speed limit change, it can lead to adjustments in the proposal that the Council will submit to the Director, and it can also influence the final decision by the Director of Land Transport. The process is designed to be evidence-based, transparent, and inclusive.  

These statements assess each proposed change in terms of:  

• Safety benefits  
• Potential impacts on travel times  
• Costs to make the change 

They ensure our proposals are evidence-based and meet the requirements of the Rule. You can read these here [link coming soon].  

You can provide feedback by completing the online form, or by filling out the form at the back of the consultation document. Completed forms must be returned by 5pm, Wednesday 6 August to a Council service centre or library, by posting to Freepost 104 653, PO Box 90, Rolleston 7643, or by scanning and emailing to yoursay@selwyn.govt.nz.

After consultation closes:  

• We will review all submissions and finalise the proposal  
• The Council will consider adoption of the changes on 17 September 2025.  
• If approved, we will submit the final proposal to NZTA.  

If approved by NZTA, we will advise the community and speed signs will be updated and new limits will come into effect.