Speed limits on many urban and rural roads are set to go back up by 20km/h under new rules unveiled by the Transport Minister.

Simeon Brown today said he is getting rid of blanket speed limits introduced by Labour, while also raising the possibility of motorist travelling up to 120km/h on major motorways.

Speaking to media in Auckland this morning, Brown said the changes were to “enable Kiwis to get to where they want to go quickly and safely”.

The new policy will see many 30km/h urban roads and 80km/h zones return to the previous 50km/h and 100km/h speed limits.

The key changes announced:

- Reverse Labour’s blanket speed limit reductions on local streets, arterial roads, and state highways by 1 July 2025. 

- Require reduced variable speed limits outside schools during pick up and drop off times by 1 July 2026. 

- Enable speed limits up to 120km/h on Roads of National Significance where it is safe. 

During this morning’s press conference, Brown pointed out targeted lower speed limits will still be in place around schools.

“The Ministry of Transport has advised me the risk to children is much greater at school pick-up times, and that is why blanket speed limits won’t be enforced outside of those times”, Brown said.

“We’re not going to make the tradie going to work at 4 or 5 in the morning crawl around our suburbs ... that makes no sense.”

When asked about road safety advocates pointing out how the road toll had gone down under the previous system of slower speed limits, Brown said the toll had gone down due to higher levels of alcohol testing of drivers by police.

He said the Government will also be introducing more drug tests of drivers.

When asked what he would say to the councils who have expressed worry about road safety due to the upcoming change in speed limits, Brown said authorities need to focus on the highest risk times and behaviours.

He said the evidence is clear that drunk drivers and those under the influence of drugs are most responsible for the road toll.

That’s why he wants the police to focus on taking more alcohol breath tests.

“Alcohol and drugs are the highest contributing factor to fatal crashes on our roads, and that’s why we have increased alcohol breath testing targets,” he said.

“Over 850,000 more alcohol breath tests were undertaken on our roads in 2023/24 compared to the previous year, saving 37 lives across the country.”

He said he doubts many drivers actually comply with 30km/h speed limits.

However, the Government’s policy allowed for specific targeted speeds for high-risk areas, such as high-risk intersections.

He said councils and road control authorities are still responsible for speed limits but the new policy gives them guidance on how to set speed limits.

They can set targeted lower speed limits based on evidence but cannot set blanket lower speed limits, Brown said.

He said many Kiwis had been concerned that blanket lower speed limits had been introduced in the past without adequate consultation.

When asked what evidence Brown had for the new policy, he said a key behind the new policy was to enable the efficient movement of traffic.

“When you reduce speed limits that increases the travel time. We want to create efficient networks.”

When asked whether the cost to the economy from road injuries would be greater than the gain from higher speed limits, Brown reiterated that his evidence showed the greatest cause of crashes and injuries was drunk driving and crashes involving those under the influence of drugs.

Transport Minister Simeon Brown held a press conference near Warkworth in August to propose faster speed limits on SH1. Photo / Sylvie Whinray

It comes after the Government earlier this month unveiled its $32.9 billion National Land Transport Plan for 2024-2027.

Spending will be focused on road maintenance, new road construction and public transport infrastructure, Brown said at the time.

That included a $5.5b swathe being dedicated to fixing potholes, while another $4.6b was earmarked for the maintenance and operations of state highways and local roads (which are jointly funded by councils).

The NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi will spend $7b on state highway improvements – that means building new roads for the state highway network and $6.4b on building new public transport infrastructure and paying subsidies to local councils to operate the network.

As part of that announcement, Brown said less money needed to be spent on cycleways and speed bumps.

Rail was another area that faced funding cuts, going from $1.3b in the last plan to $1b in this one.

Auckland was held up as a big winner by the Government though, with about a quarter of the funding at $8.4b, and more than half the public transport spend at $3.7b, being set aside for the super city.

Money for these investments comes from the National Land Transport Fund– a pool of transport funding drawn mainly from fuel taxes and Road User Charges (RUCs).

The Government in August also unveiled a proposal to allow motorists to drive up to 110km/h north of Auckland.

A Roads of Regional Significance programme was also released earlier this year, with the draft policy statement confirming 17 roads of national significance, and 11 of regional significance were on the slate. 

Then in late August, Brown travelled north of Auckland to announce motorists could soon be driving at speeds up to 110km/h between Ōrewa and Warkworth. 

The Government has proposed raising speed limits along the 25km stretch of modern motorway, up from 100km/h. 

Brown told a press conference in Warkworth in August the increased limit would help “unlock economic growth and productivity by moving people and freight quickly and safely between regions”.