Three weeks into Council’s review of speed limits on local roads, initial feedback suggests the majority of Marlborough submitters are in favour of lowered speed limits throughout the region.

The review asks Marlburians for their views on what they consider appropriate speed limits on local roads throughout the region. The review does not include speeds on State Highways, which are administered by the New Zealand Transport Agency.

Nearly half of the submissions to date have been in favour of more 50km/h areas (69 submissions) followed by 30km/h areas (32 submissions).

More than 160 submissions have been lodged so far, but Council is eager to receive more feedback before the review process ends on Friday 27 September 2019.

Marlborough Roads Manager, Steve Murrin, says he is pleased with the online response so far but is aware that there are others who are keen to share their opinions. “We really encourage people to make a submission to ensure their voice is heard,” Mr Murrin says.

“We know that for speed limits to be effective, they need to be underpinned by community support and understanding, and that’s why community input into this process is crucial,” he said.

Old and New Renwick Roads have been popular topics, with most submissions in favour of the speed being raised for New Renwick Road, and lowered on Old Renwick Road.

The majority of submissions on smaller townships such as Spring Creek, Seddon and Renwick show support for a reduction in speed limits.

The review is being conducted to ensure that the speed limits on Marlborough’s local roads are safe and appropriate.

On average, one person dies on New Zealand’s roads every day and another is injured every hour. In Marlborough the number of fatal and serious injury casualties rose from 13 in 2013 to 37 in 2017, with speed being a contributing factor in 20 percent of the crashes.

The public can submit feedback on the existing speed limits by completing the online survey at: http://bit.ly/MDCSpeedLimitReview before 27 September 2019.

© Scoop Media