State highway speed management

Under the Setting of Speed Limits Rule 2024

A new approach to setting speed limits on New Zealand roads has been finalised by the Government and came into force on 30 October 2024.

The new Rule sets out how speed limits on New Zealand roads will be managed in a way that supports economic growth, boosts productivity, and enables people to get to where they are going efficiently and safely.  

The Rule supports a targeted approach to speed management by focusing future speed reviews on areas of high safety concern, supporting NZ Police to meet speed-related enforcement targets and using variable speed limits outside schools. It also standardises road classes and their speed limits, specifying speed limit ranges for each road type.

Under the new Rule some categories of roads will be required to reverse in a once-off ‘transition’ exercise as part of the introduction of the Rule. These categories are known as ‘specified roads’ within the Rule - these roads have been subject to recent speed reviews, with their speed limits reduced since 1 January 2020. These speed reversals are required to be implemented by 1 July 2025.

The new Rule also makes changes to a range of processes under the former Rule, including reviewing the previous three yearly Speed Management Planning process for all RCAs and requirements for speeds around schools; and improves consultation requirements.

As the state highway Road Controlling Authority (RCA), NZTA is responsible for implementing the Rule’s requirements on our state highway network. Other RCAs including councils are responsible for local roads.