Speed reductions on the way for Mid Canterbury school

Nicole Mathewson Reporter from The Press

From local democracy reporter Jonathan Leask:

Students from Longbeach School told councillors in no uncertain terms they need a speed reduction outside their rural Mid Canterbury school.
They will likely finally get their wish.

The student leaders told the councillors their principal, Neil Simons, had requested a speed reduction back in 2009 and the school was still waiting, which was “not OK”.

“It’s now 2022 and the speed limit past our school remains at 100kph,” Addison Griffiths said.

The students wanted to know why other schools have had speed reductions while their road “remained a significant danger to the children who cross this daily”.

Their presentation was soon followed by the Ashburton District Council approving an interim speed management plan to go out for public consultation that focuses on reductions around schools -including Longbeach School.

Roading manager Mark Chamberlain said as a category 2 rural school, it’s eligible for a 60kph variable speed limit.

“It hasn’t been enabled to have a lower speed limit under previous rules and guides, and getting approval from Waka Kotahi for a reduction,” he said.

“Longbeach, along with other rural schools, have actually got the ability to reduce the speed limit on those [roads] now.”

The rules also extend to more than just the school frontages he said, it’s the route to schools which is why some of the proposed changes extend a bit further.

Chamberlain said the council had about $600,000 to install the variable speed signs.

Once the consultation for the interim speed management plan is completed, the proposed changes will go before the council for final approval.

Chamberlain said the hope was to have the school changes in place for the start of the new school year.

Reducing speeds around schools is an important safety measure Chamberlain said, but it’s not where the fatalities happen.

“The big discussion is what we are going to do with our rural roads.”

“We are doing our schools and everyone says ‘schools that’s great, that’s easy’ but that’s not where we are having our crashes and our fatalities.

“Our fatalities are on rural roads and rural intersections in particular, and yet they seem to be the ones we want to do the least work on and that’s part of the discussion we still have to have.”

That discussion will help form the regional speed management plan for 2024-27.

Proposed School speeds:

Category 1 with 30kph permanent speed limit:
Allenton School, Ashburton Borough School, Ashburton Christian School, Ashburton College, Ashburton Intermediate School, Ashburton Netherby School, Chertsey School, Fairton School, Hampstead School, Hinds School, Lauriston School, Mayfield School, Mt Somers Springburn School, Rakaia School, St Joseph's School, Tinwald School.

Category 2 with 60kph variable speed limit:
Carew Peel Forest School, Dorie School, Lagmhor School, Longbeach School, Wakanui School.

Category 1 with 30kph permanent or variable speed limit treatment:
Methven School, Mt Hutt College, Our Lady of the Snows School.

(Frontage shared with the state highway therefore will be affected by Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency’s speed management plan).