On 5 April 2023 the Director of Land Transport approved the following default deadlines for activities related to preparing speed management plans, as allowed by section 3.6 of the Land Transport Rule: Setting of Speed Limits 2022 (the Rule):
| Default deadlines | Deadline description |
|---|---|
| Deadline 1: 5 October 2023 | The final date for the publication of any consultation draft speed management plan. |
| Deadline 2: 29 March 2024 | The final date for submitting the final draft speed management plan for certification. |
In setting these default deadlines the Director has been mindful that some road controlling authorities are dealing with extraordinary events and issues, including the impacts of Cyclone Gabrielle. The approach the Director has taken allows road controlling authorities dealing with extraordinary events to request 'specific deadlines', while enabling those who can progress faster to do so. We suggest that road controlling authorities who require a specific deadline should discuss this with their Area Programme Manager.
In setting these deadlines, the Rule requires Waka Kotahi to:
a. have regard to timeframes for creating regional land transport plans;
b. set those deadlines so that, as far as reasonably practicable, each plan is reviewed every three years;
c. set a deadline for publishing a consultation draft regional speed management plan; and
d. notify Waka Kotahi (as road controlling authority), the territorial authority or the regional transport committee (as the case may be) of the deadline set under subclause (2)(b) at least 6 months before the date of the deadline.
Clause 3.1 of the Rule requires Waka Kotahi (as road controlling authority), each territorial authority, and each regional transport committee to prepare speed management plans in accordance with any deadlines set by Waka Kotahi (as regulator). Additionally, each regional council must assist with the preparation of a speed management plan, in accordance with these deadlines.
Under the Rule, road controlling authorities who wish to ‘go it alone’ can publish a consultation draft territorial authority speed management plan no earlier than 6 months before the deadline for publishing the consultation draft regional speed management plan (clause 3.7(3) of the Rule). With the deadlines above, the earliest publication date is 5 March 2022.
These requirements mean that consultation on regional speed management plans can be completed before consultation on regional land transport plans begins (in around November 2023).
The Director has provided some flexibility for any road controlling authorities unable to meet the default deadlines by allowing them to request ‘specific’ deadlines. To request a specific deadline, road controlling authorities are encouraged to get in touch with their Director of Regional Relationships or Area Programme Manager for guidance and support, before emailing us at speedmanagementplanning@nzta.govt.nz
