Submissions open today on Council’s Speed Management Plan. The consultation period runs from 13 June to 11 July.

The plan proposes speed limit changes on local roads around schools and marae, in small townships and in current 70 km/h and 90 km/h areas. The plan also addresses some speed limit inconsistencies and proposes reducing speed limits on some roads in the Marlborough Sounds.

“The purpose of the Speed Management Plan is to enable Marlborough residents and visitors to travel more safely around the region on our local roads. I encourage people to have their say,” said David Croad, Deputy Mayor and chair of Council’s Assets and Services Committee.

“In the 10 years to 2022, there were 2,220 crashes reported on Marlborough’s local roads including 11 fatalities. Speed was indicated as a contributing factor in 19 per cent of all fatal and serious crashes on Marlborough roads during this time.”

“Speed management is about achieving safe and appropriate vehicle speeds on roads that reflect the road’s function, design, safety and use,” said Councillor Croad.

To support the Plan a range of initiatives is required to be implemented such as speed limit changes and engineering treatments such as signs, road markings or speed humps.

The Land Transport Rule: Setting of Speed Limits legislation came into effect in May 2022 and requires speed limits around schools be reviewed and efforts made to reduce them by the end of 2027,” said Marlborough Roads’ Senior Transport Planner, Laura Skilton.

“Speed limits will now be reviewed every three years and proposed changes and treatments identified as part of the development of the speed management plan.”

“People and goods need to move efficiently around the transport network. However, aligned to the Road to Zero vision, there also needs to be a reduction in deaths and serious injuries on the network.”

“The creation of the Speed Management Plan is part of a wider national ‘Safe System’ approach to road safety, which covers four broad areas: safe speeds, safe vehicles, safe road users and safe roads and roadsides.”

“The Safe System approach works on the principle that it is not acceptable for a road user to be killed or seriously injured if they make a mistake. Research from overseas shows that even if all road users comply with road rules, fatalities only fall by around 50%. So if everyone obeyed the road rules, New Zealand would still have more than 130 deaths on the road each year.”

“The Safe System approach looks beyond the driver and identifies and addresses all of the causes of crash trauma. A more forgiving system means that when someone makes a mistake it is less likely to result in loss of life or limb.”

Drop-in meetings for people to find out more about the Plan and submission process are scheduled as follows:

• Blenheim Library Tuesday 20 June 2.00 pm to 4.00 pm
• Awatere Memorial Hall Friday 23 June 1.00 pm to 3.00 pm
• Picton Library Monday 26 June 1.00 pm to 3.00 pm
• Havelock School community hall Thursday 29 June 1.00 pm to 3.00 pm

People are encouraged to read the Speed Management Plan and its supporting Technical Assessments document. These are available online at www.marlborough.govt.nz/your-council/have-your-say-consultations from Council offices in Blenheim and Picton or at the drop-in meetings.

© Scoop Media