The council has been criticised for dropping the speed limit along a coastal Dunedin road, a move one local says will drive bad decision-making by motorists. However, a Kuri Bush resident hailed the Dunedin City Council’s decision to reduce Taieri Mouth Rd’s limit from 100kmh to 80kmh as a “win for sensibility” years in the making. At Wednesday’s meeting, councillors voted 11-3 to accept a hearings committee recommendation and reduce the speed limit along the 13.9km stretch of road south of Brighton, rather than a partial reduction or status quo. Councillors in favour of full reduction said it produced the safest outcome for all road users — including sea lions — while those opposed said a targeted reduction would be sufficient to address safety concerns. Taieri Mouth resident Louise Farmer used the road daily and said a reduction through the Kuri Bush hamlet was “fair enough” but not feasible for the length of the road. She had submitted a petition with 567 signatures opposing a blanket reduction to the council. “It’s the [comfort]of driving at a certain speed — you know this when you get stuck behind a slow vehicle, how irritating it is.” Coupled with a lack of pull-over bays on the road, “people are going to make really dangerous decisions about passing and that’s on them,” she said. She felt extremely frustrated by the submissions process and believed the council had not listened to submitters. [Missing Credit]Graphic: ODT A report to Wednesday’s meeting said, of the three options consulted on, 133 of the 238 submissions (56%) backed the status quo, 78 (33%) supported a reduction to 80kmh along the whole road and 27 (11%) backed a reduction to 80kmh along the road’s southern portion. A few councillors noted some submissions were on behalf of groups or organisations. In contrast, Kuri Bush resident John Burnip said he and his neighbours were thrilled by the council’s decision. “We’re absolutely delighted that it was an 11-3 win for sensibility.” He said residents had held concerns about road speed for close to 40 years — in 2023, the council consulted on possible reductions, but work stopped after the government changed the process for setting speed limits. [Missing Credit]Kuri Bush residents (from left) Anette Seifert, Keryn Jenkins, Tony Reeder, David Fisher, John Burnip and Jennifer Orsi were among those who advocated for a lowered speed limit on Taieri Mouth Rd. Photo: Gerard O’Brien Asked about the petitioners’ concerns, Mr Burnip asked them to consider the submissions which favoured reduction. “Also the 40-odd people along the road here as householders who are the ratepayers, also wanting it reduced to make it safe for everybody that uses it, for the wildlife that’s now coming on to the road. “If they can’t give up one minute of their lives for everybody’s safety, what sort of person are they?” He spoke in the public forum at Wednesday’s meeting. Crs Russell Lund, Lee Vandervis and Brent Weatherall opposed the reduction and Cr Steve Walker was absent. ruby.shaw@odt.co.nz
