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New variable speed limits are being introduced outside every school in the Kaipara District, with signs being installed throughout June ahead of the safer school zones becoming enforceable from 1 July.
The new limits will operate during peak school drop-off and pick-up periods and are being introduced under the Government’s Setting of Speed Limits Rule 2024, which aims to improve safety for tamariki and their families around schools.
The new variable speed school zones are being installed between now and the end of June, using a mix of electronic for busier roads and static for quieter roads.
The speed limits have been tailored to the surrounding road environment, with safety the primary consideration. A 30km/h limit will apply outside schools in urban areas and on rural roads currently limited to 50km/h, where children are more likely to walk or cycle. Schools located on state highways or higher-speed roads will have a 60km/h variable speed limit.
NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi is responsible for implementing variable speed limits on state highways.
The variable speed limits will operate for up to 45 minutes before and after the start and end of the school day. School zones will extend 150 metres on either side of school gates where a 30km/h limit applies, and 300 metres where the limit is 60km/h.
The new limits will become enforceable from 1 July 2026 during designated school zone times, with the existing permanent speed limits applying at all other times.
