Queenstown Lakes District Council asset management engineer Andrew Edgar said in his report to the infrastructure services committee, to be discussed at its meeting tomorrow, for any regulation to work it required "the broad support of the community".
"The 40kmh speed limit proposal does not appear to have this broad support and accordingly, rather than re-consult and get the same response, it is proposed that at this stage the proposal should not proceed to re-consultation."
Instead, Mr Edgar recommended the council continue its work on cycling and walking infrastructure which was already proposed as part of the speed limit proposal.
The issue arose out of proposed amendments to the Speed Limits Bylaw 2009 affecting Arrowtown and parts of the wider Wanaka area, including Hawea and the Cardrona Valley Rd.
The full council approved the proposed amendments at its meeting in November and consultation began in December. Thirty-four submissions were received.
Mr Edgar said most of the submissions were on the Arrowtown limit.
"A review of these specific submissions found the majority opposing the speed limit change in Arrowtown, with the view that there was no safety problem or that the safety problem of pedestrians, particularly children and parents, walking on the roads of Arrowtown, could be better solved by the construction of more pedestrian paths.
"This feedback ... was in contrast to the previous feedback on speed issues in Arrowtown."
Mr Edgar said that, initially, specific submissions to the 2011-12 Annual Plan by Arrowtown School and the Arrowtown Village Association requested the review, with a view to reducing speed limits.
Follow-up community consultation also indicated a change could be proposed as a solution to speed issues "associated with pedestrians having to walk on roads".
However, in light of the submissions, a continuation of work on cycling and walking infrastructure would be discussed with the school and Arrowtown Village Association, which had been instrumental in prioritising footpath and crossing improvements.
Eight submissions were received on the four other changes proposed as part of the Speed Limits Bylaw amendments. Mr Edgar proposed those be consulted on again as part of the second series of speed limit changes being investigated, expected to come before the committee in May.
Those amendments affected Old Racecourse Rd and Ewing Pl, the Hawea Esplanade Rd, Camphill Rd, Hawea and Cardrona Valley Rd.
