Lower speed limits are coming for Western Bay town centres, with limits outside rural schools also set to change.

Waihi Beach, Ōmokoroa and Te Puke town centres will have 40kph limits, unless the current speed is already lower.

However, the new limits won’t come into effect for at least 18 months.

State Highway 2 runs through Katikati’s centre, so this limit is governed by NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi and therefore not part of the review.

The new speed management plan was adopted by the Western Bay of Plenty District at a meeting on Thursday.

During the meeting, the council debated whether to lower the speed limit to 60kph or 80kph outside rural schools. The change would apply outside the variable 30kph limit during peak hours, and wouldn't apply to areas with current lower limits.

Councillor Don Thwaites said he favoured 60kph as many activities took place after traditional school hours of 8.30am to 4.30pm.

“The reality is police are not going to go up there and police this.”

It was up to local residents to follow the speed limits, said Thwaites.

“If the replacement of 60kph sign means that they might just consider slowing down a little bit past the school ... I think it's a good thing.”

Roads outside rural schools will be limited to 80kph outside of school pick up and drop off hours. Photo: SunLive. 

Councillor Margaret Murray-Benge agreed, saying rural schools are entitled to as much safety as an urban school.

Maketū-Te Puke councillor Andy Wichers said the 80kph limit "would be more appropriate" for rural schools.

However, councillor Rodney Joyce said he was concerned with the debate about putting in a 60kph limit, but not expecting people to follow it.

“The police won’t police it, we don't expect to follow it, so let's just do it anyway. I don't think that’s good governance.

“We shouldn't be encouraging people to break the law, basically by saying we’ll put this speed limit in place, but actually it doesn’t really matter.”

Joyce was in favour of a case-by-case basis for schools.

“People won't follow 60kph outside rural schools.”

Councillor Don Thwaites wanted limits outside rural schools to be 60kph. Photo: John Borren/SunLive.

However, Thwaites said this "was complete nonsense".

"We're not encouraging people to break the law at all. We're appealing to their common sense.”

He said he was pointing out that from a “sheer practical point of view" police can’t be everywhere.

“We're actually appealing to the vast majority of sensible people to actually just slow down.”

Deputy mayor John Scrimgeour, who favoured the 60kph limit, gave the example of Te Ranga School in Te Puke that had issues with speeding.

“Since there has been some greater signage up in that area, there has been considerably less concern about the speed of traffic moving past the school.”

The 80kph limit outside rural schools was adopted by a split vote of six to four.Mayor James Denyer said the council had been nimble in adapting to central government changes. Photo: John Borren/SunLive.

Mayor James Denyer said the council had “landed in a good place” with the plan.

“We've done the best we can in a changing environment from central government. I think we've been nimble enough to adapt to those.”

Speed management plans were no longer a mandatory requirement under the new government, but a plan could still be developed to guide the speed limit approach.

Consultation on the speed management plan was held in October and November last year, with 197 submissions received.

Director Transportation Calum Mclean told Local Democracy Reporting the limits would be in place within 18 – 24 months.

The plan required council to further engage with tangata whenua and order the variable speed limit signs.

Council also needed to develop an implementation programme and find a contractor for the work.

The speed limit changes also needed to align with amendments to the National Speed Limit Register to ensure the new speed limits could be legally enforced, said McLean.

The community would be advised of the changes as they occurred.

LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.