With just four days left until submissions close on the review of local road speed limits on Friday 27 September, Council is encouraging Marlburians to have their say.

The review asks our community 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, for example Middle Renwick Road/SH6, which is administered by the NZ Transport Agency.

Over 300 submissions have been received so far, with a third of those in favour of more 50km/h areas (107 submissions), followed by 30km/h area (76 submissions) then 80 km/h areas (61 submissions).

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 before Friday, 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 received a lot of submissions, along with some of the smaller towns including Tuamarina and Rarangi. Residents in Anakiwa are asking for speed reductions due to the number of children and walkers on the road during summer.

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, before 5.00 pm on Friday 27 September 2019, at: www.marlborough.govt.nz/services/parking-roads-and-transport/speed-limits/speed-limit-review

ENDS

© Scoop Media