File supplied: Rodney Dow
ŌTOROHANGA District Council is going ahead with speed limit restrictions that were unsupported by submissions, according to councillor Rodney Dow.
Rodney said the survey question asking if people agreed with the council’s approach to managing speeds and safety outside and around urban schools, could be taken two ways – and the answers did not match the written submissions.
“Of course, it’s about safety, so I put a yes to that. But for a lot of people I’ve talked to, it is two questions.
“Safety overrides speed in my view. The figures there at 64-65% agreeing, for someone like me, I would agree with safety, but not speed.”
Reading through the written submissions, he said there were about 20 people for lowering the speed and 38 against.
Then there were other submissions that also included other related issues. In all, around 25% of people supported lowering the speed and 75% were against.
“If you construct a question in the way you want it answered, you can do anything you want,” Rodney said.
The discussion was over 37 submissions received on the Draft Interim Speed Management Plan, which the council is required to produce in line with the Government and Waka Kotahi “Road to Zero” plan to reduce road deaths and serious injuries.
Rodney is also OTL Group managing director and did not vote.
The council approved the draft plan for public consultation with the addition of submissions from schools:
St Marys/Ōtorohanga College want variable speed signs to change the permanent 30kmh signs from permanent to variable during pick up and drop off times on the relevant roads surrounding St Marys and Ōtorohanga College.
Ōtewā Primary School wants the speed limit outside the school reduced further to reflect the difference in road layout and school needs.
Ngutunui Primary School wanted the speed leading up to school reduced to a permanent 80kmh to reflect the road layout and school needs.
At Ouruwhero Rd, the submitters wanted option 2 – an extension of the 60kmh speed limit and 80kmh north of Kakamutu Rd as recommended in the technical assessment.
Submitters want speed on Mangauika Rd lowered to 60kmh to reflect submissions received. The amended draft plan will be presented along with estimated costings at the council’s August meeting for consideration.
