NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA) is reducing the speed limit on a section of State Highway 3 in Hāwera north from 100km/h to 60km/h in a bid to improve safety and accessibility.
State Highway 3 (SH3) in North Hāwera is a key transport route connecting residential, industrial, and commercial areas. It serves a wide range of vehicles, including heavy trucks transporting agricultural and industrial goods, commuter cars, public transport, and service vehicles. The road supports freight movement, local travel, and access to facilities like the South Taranaki Business Park and Hāwera Racecourse.
The new speed limit applies to a one kilometre stretch of SH3 from north of Kerry Road to north of Fantham Street.
“As part of this speed review, we consider the implementation costs and overall safety and travel time impacts of the proposed speed limit changes in a cost benefit disclosure statement (CBDS),” NZTA said in a statement.
“The speed limit being reduced to 60km/h is expected to reduce crashes which result in people being injured by 44% on the 100km/h section and 10% on the 70km/h section. It will add eight seconds to journey times along the entire section for light and heavy vehicles.”
The new speed limit has been approved by the Director of Land Transport and work to programme installation of new speed limit signs is underway.
Enforcement of the new speed limits will become legal once the new signs are in place, NZTA said in a statement.
“We undertook public consultation on a proposal to reduce the speed limit to 60km/ on SH3 Hāwera north – from north of Kerry Road to north of Fantham Street as part of a speed limit review,” the Agency said.
The consultation was open from 17 September to 29 October 2025 and 269 submissions were received. NZTA says all feedback was considered alongside technical assessments, safety analysis, and cost–benefit information when deciding whether to change the speed limit.
“This proposed change reflects ongoing and future development along the corridor and aims to improve safety and accessibility.”
“Hāwera’s northern growth over the past 20 years has transformed the area from rural to increasingly urban.
“Planned industrial expansion, including the business park near Kerry and Fitzgerald Roads, will further increase activity on the road, making a lower speed limit more appropriate.”
It says the change will support planned intersection upgrades in the area, including new right-turn bays at Kerry Road and Fitzgerald Road, NZTA says.
“This proposal aligns with the Government’s Road Safety Objectives which include taking a balanced and targeted approach to speed limits by considering safety, economic impacts – including travel times – and community views.”
The expected cost to implement a new speed limit will be approximately $100,000. This includes associated traffic management, and planning, road signs and markings, installation costs, overheads, consultation and administration costs.
