A small rural school community is desperately trying to change the speed limit near its school, saying action needs to be taken before someone is killed.
Lake Rerewhakaaitu School near Rotorua sits in a 70-kilometre zone, a high-speed limit which locals have been fighting for 30 years to change.
Amanda Armer, a parent at the school, has been lobbying for this speed change for two years and told Breakfast the different speed limits for rural and urban schools “doesn’t make sense”.
“If we were in town, yes it would be 40 kilometres passed a school.
“Rural kids…maybe they run faster, maybe they look twice a few more times I’m not too sure what the theory is, it isn’t the same in rural areas.
“Yet, nationwide going passed a bus it’s 20 kilometres. It doesn’t really make much sense to me.”
The community’s efforts have paid off with the Rotorua Council and NZTA having approved the lower speed restrictions for the school.
However, the plan has to be presented to the public first, then if most of the submissions are in favour the speed will be lowered.
Submissions on the speed limit can be made by anyone of any age from across the country.
If the quantity of submissions is in favour of the lower speed limit by July, it’s hoped the speed near the school will be reduced, Armer said.
“It’s not definite at all that it will be done by then and it’s not definite that we will get the change. It’s highly probable, but it’s not 100 per cent certain.”
Submissions close at 5pm today.
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