Traffic speed round Martinborough Square will slow to a permanently safer 30 km/h as soon as the signage can be put in place. Who saw that coming?
It’s one of scores of slower speed rates across the South Wairarapa district which will be implemented during 2026 and 2027. The aim is to help lower accident rates such as the accident that occurred on Puruatanga Road last year.
The first speed reductions are already in place, with speed levels cut to 30 km/h at the pick-up and drop off zones for seven primary schools and at Kuranui College.
Outside these zones, a “variable” speed of 50 km/h now applies except for the highways outside Pirinoa and Kahutara schools. Here current speeds of up to 100 kms are cut to 30 km/h during the two time zones. Throughout the rest of the day the 100 km/h will drop to 60 km/h.
These changes are part of wider speed limit changes under the district’s recently approved Speed Management Plan.
More significant speed level changes will occur in what “traffic speak” describes as the “peri-urban” parts of Martinborough township’s roads. Most of Martinborough’s peri-urban roads have a permanent new speed of 60 km/h – down from their current levels of up to 100 km/h.
Puruatanga Road, along with major segments of Martins, Todds and Shooting Butts Roads, plus New York, Cambridge and Regent Streets, will all drop to 60 km/h, from their current 100 or 70 km/h limits.
Another exception to the general rules is the 50 km/h on Regent Street between New York and Puruatanga – down sharply outside Hau Ariki Marae. Outside rural Kohunui Marae the top speed becomes 60 km/h down from the current 100 km/h.
Roads through Ngawi, Lake Ferry and Whangaimoana settlements drop to 40km/h – New lower “threshold” speed signage will also be installed outside main settlement areas next year to indicate the new, lower speed limits.
These are permanent changes to vehicle driving speeds and classified by the council as having no or minimal impact on travel times experienced by users.
About 90 of the district’s hundreds of kilometers of “unsealed” or “part-sealed” roads also will have speed limits cut to 80 km/h from their current 100 km/h standard.
Segments of six other rural roads, four near Martinborough, will have lowered speed changes imposed in 2027.
SWDC principal roading advisor Tim Langley confirmed the speed management and schools’ plans were “approved by the director of Land Transport” last November.”
Asked about time-frames for implementing the new speed regime, he noted:
“The immediate focus is getting the variable speeds around schools in force.
Secondly the focus will move to peri-urban roads around Greytown, Featherston and Martinborough.
This will be followed by the speed reduction(s) in the coastal settlements and remaining sealed road changes and finally reductions on the unsealed roads.”
See details and maps at:
https://swdc.govt.nz/wp-content/uploads/SWDC-Speed-Management-Plan-Draft-October-2025-v2.pdf
