A 20kph speed limit will be introduced at Karioitahi Beach in time for Christmas in response to calls from local iwi Ngati te Ata.
Auckland Council’s Regional Transport Committee members recently adopted Katoa, Ka Ora (speed management plan) for the area.
Karioitahi is classified as a public road and currently has a speed limit of 60kph but Ngati te Ata approached Auckland Transport to request the reduction for safety and environmental reasons.
Franklin Loal Board chair Angela Fulljames says the board also advocated for the lower limit.
“Every year we receive complaints from beachgoers, often families, about driver behaviour and their determination to treat the beach as their private speedway despite education campaigns and calls for restraint.
“Now Auckland Transport and Auckland Council have worked together to include the iwi request and will now seek approval for the change through lodging it with the Director of Land Transport for certification.
"Once that has happened, the new speed limit is entered into a national register. We expect it to be in the register by early November.”
The speed limit will the length of Karioitahi Beach to the north, then down as far as the Waikato boundary in the south.
The only vehicle access to the beach is from the north and south points of the car park area. Vehicles are not permitted to drive on the beach directly in front of the car park because it is the busiest swimming area.
Signs can’t be installed on the beach so the only signage will be in the carpark area, managed by Auckland Council. However, Auckland Transport will install signage on the road approaching the car park, notifying the change.
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