44 Bowen Street
Private Bag 6995
Wellington 6141
New Zealand
T 64 4 894 5400
F 64 4 894 6100
www.nzta.govt.nz
1 November 2024
G Smith
[FYI request #28569 email]
REF: OIA-16602
Dear G Smith
Request made under the Official Information Act 1982
Thank you for your email of 28 September 2024 requesting the following information under the Official
Information Act 1982 (the Act):
I am interested whether the death and injury rates on roads which had a speed reduction has
been reported on by the Ministry.
The roads in question are ones which had speed reductions (50-30km/h, 100-80km/h) which
the Transport Minister is seeking to reverse.
https://apc01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.stuff.co.nz%2Fnz-
news%2F350433126%2Fspeed-limit-reductions-reversing-back-2019-transport-minister-
says&data=05%7C02%7Coia%40transport.govt.nz%7Cec159a5811974605e4da08dcdf7de0b
1%7Cff09ef007cd0407ebe0ef00bc475a9ab%7C0%7C0%7C638630978979705136%7CUnkn
own%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJX
VCI6Mn0%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=7PSJXMR%2F7DKmRdYZnQGmI01GzI4QLchaI9
q9Mn%2BsYbI%3D&reserved=0
If such work has previously been done, for example in preparation of the initial speed
reduction program, I request any reports, memos, analysis done.
If there has not been any work done, I request any data held relating to deaths and injuries for
the speed reduction roads for 1 July 2014 - 1 July 2024.
I request a full list of these roads, separated into the two speed bands if possible, and the
number of deaths and injuries on those roads for 1 July 2014 - 1 July 2024.
Your request was transferred to NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA) on 3 October 2024 as it
was more closely connected to our functions. However please note that NZTA as a road controlling
authority (RCA) is only responsible for setting speed limits on New Zealand’s state highways.
Local councils and Auckland Transport are the RCAs for local roads so you will need to make a
request under the Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act 1987 (LGOIMA) to the
relevant RCA for information pertaining to their network. The majority of roads with a speed limit of
50km/h that were lowered to 30km/h would be local roads.
To clarify, the new
Land Transport Rule: Setting of Speed Limits 2024 (the Rule) only came into force
on 30 October 2024. Section 11 of the Rule requires speed limit reductions implemented from 1
January 2020 to be reversed by 1 July 2025 on certain types of roads. In line with section 11.2 of the
Rule, all RCAs need to consider the new Rule as it requires them to submit a list of roads subject to
reversals to the Registrar before 1 May 2025.
NZTA is currently assessing which sections of state highways this requirement applies to. As the work
is ongoing, we do not yet have a list of confirmed locations. I am therefore refusing your request under
section 18(g)(i) of the Act because the information requested is not held by NZTA and we have no
grounds to believe that the information is either held by another department or by a local authority.
Before changes can take effect, there is a formal regulatory process involved with reversing speed
limits and a number of procedural steps that NZTA must follow. NZTA will be advising communities of
any proposed changes, including where consultation may be considered, in early 2025. Reversals will
be undertaken in a staged approach before 1 July 2025.
Under section 28 of the Act, you have the right to ask the Ombudsman to review my decision to refuse
this request. The contact details for the Ombudsman can be located at
www.ombudsman.parliament.nz.
If you would like to discuss this reply with NZTA, please contact the Ministerial Services team by email
to [email address].
Yours sincerely
Cate Quinn
Acting National Manager Portfolio & Standards
