Speed limits to drop around new Ashburton subdivisions
From local democracy reporter Jonathan Leask:
Speed limits are being dropped around new housing developments in Ashburton.
Council roading manager Mark Chamberlain said the eight changes are “a bit of a tidy up” as speed limits are adjusted around new subdivisions.
In some instances, developers have already installed the speed signs, he said.
“This is just making them enforceable”.
Infrastructure and open spaces group manager Neil McCann said there had been a lot of new development outside Ashburton's 50kph urban areas, which warranted the speed reductions.
“It means that people leaving the subdivisions are turning into slower moving traffic, which is safer for everyone.
“At Albert St, the speed limit currently goes from 30kph outside the Christian school, to 60kph heading towards Trevors Road and then 50kph at Trevors Road.
“Removing the 60kph tidies up an unnecessary change.”
The proposed changes did not require public consultation as they align with the council’s Interim Speed Management Plan, which was consulted on in November 2022.
On Wednesday, the council approved the changes. The new speed limits would be entered into the National Speed Limit Register for certification by Waka Kotahi, with the aim of having the new speeds take effect on November 1.
The council still planned to review its permanent 30kph school speed zone limits in February.
Meanwhile, speed limit reductions proposed in Waka Kotahi’s interim state highway speed management plan are still being reviewed by the speed management committee, an independent group that reviews state highway plans.
The process is expected to take until November before going to the Director of Land Transport.
In Mid Canterbury, it was proposed to cut the speed through Rakaia to 50kph, and down to 80kph across the Rakaia River Bridge.
The speed would also be reduced from 100kph down to 60kph past the Ōpuke thermal Pools, out of Methven on SH77.
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Speed Reductions:
- Ashbury Grove Subdivision, Tinwald - new 40kph urban area.
- Grahams Rd, Tinwald 50kph - reduce from 80kph to 50kph for 150m from existing 50kph urban traffic area.
- Strowan Fields Subdivision, Ashburton 40kph – new 40kph urban area.
- Wakanui Rd, Ashburton 50kph – reduce from 60 kph to 50 kph for 140m from existing 50kph urban traffic area.
- Carrfields Subdivision, Tinwald 50kph – extend 50kph urban traffic area.
- Westview Drive, Tinwald 40kph – new 40kph urban area.
- Holmes Rd, Methven 50kph – reduce from 100kph to 50 km/hr.
- Albert St, Ashburton 50kph – reduce from 60kph to 50kph from existing 50kph urban traffic area to existing 30kph Ashburton Christian School speed limit.
⚠️ DOGS DIE IN HOT CARS. If you love them, don't leave them. ⚠️
It's a message we share time and time again, and this year, we're calling on you to help us spread that message further.
Did you know that calls to SPCA about dogs left inside hot cars made up a whopping 11% of all welfare calls last summer? This is a completely preventable issue, and one which is causing hundreds of dogs (often loved pets) to suffer.
Here are some quick facts to share with the dog owners in your life:
👉 The temperature inside a car can heat to over 50°C in less than 15 minutes.
👉 Parking in the shade and cracking windows does little to help on a warm day. Dogs rely on panting to keep cool, which they can't do in a hot car.
👉 This puts dogs at a high risk of heatstroke - a serious condition for dogs, with a mortality rate between 39%-50%.
👉 It is an offence under the Animal Welfare Act to leave a dog in a hot vehicle if they are showing signs of heat stress. You can be fined, and prosecuted.
SPCA has created downloadable resources to help you spread the message even further. Posters, a flyer, and a social media tile can be downloaded from our website here: www.spca.nz...
We encourage you to use these - and ask your local businesses to display the posters if they can. Flyers can be kept in your car and handed out as needed.
This is a community problem, and one we cannot solve alone. Help us to prevent more tragedies this summer by sharing this post.
On behalf of the animals - thank you ❤️
Poll: Would you rather: Christmas in summer forever or winter forever?
Just a bit of a fun poll to get you thinking.
If you had to live out your Christmas days, would you prefer it was a summer Christmas or a winter Christmas?
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61.9% Summer
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36.6% Winter
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1.5% Other - I'll share below
Worst Xmas ever?
There's a a lot of planning that goes into Christmas day and sometimes things just don't go to plan. But it can be a good thing - a family mishap or hilarious memory that you can laugh about in Christmases to come.
Whether you burnt the dinner or were stranded at an airport...
Share your Christmas mishaps below!
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