Following a dedicated community campaign and overwhelming public support during consultation, two sections of State Highway 35 in Gisborne will retain their lower speed limits, averting a government-mandated reversal to higher speeds. The decision has been met with relief by local residents who fought for years to improve safety on their roads.

The issue arose from a government rule change that required speed limits on certain local roads and highways to revert to their previous, higher speeds by July 1. For sections of SH35 through Tamarau and Okitū, this meant speeds lowered since January 2020 were set to automatically increase, a move Gisborne residents described as "a slap in the face" to their community efforts.

In response to widespread feedback, the New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) initiated speed reviews for 16 highway sections across the country, including the contentious Gisborne stretches. The consultation process for the two local sections, which ran from April to May, garnered 1212 submissions. An overwhelming majority (over 70% of respondents) supported maintaining the lower speeds, primarily citing the safety of pedestrians and cyclists.

The specific results highlighted strong community consensus: Okitū Section - Of the 635 submissions, 74% advocated for keeping the 60km/h limit instead of it reverting to 70km/h. Respondents stressed that the lower speed was "more appropriate and safer for local school children" and for people crossing the busy road to access the beach.

Tamarau Section - This area received 575 submissions, with 71% wanting to retain the 60km/h limit, which was scheduled to revert to 70km/h and 80km/h in different parts. Supporters noted that the lower speed would reduce the "occurrence and severity of crashes" and make it safer to use the cycleway.

However, the victory was bittersweet. Lambert (a resident who started a petition in 2019) noted the community's disappointment that a nearby stretch of SH35 from Makorori to Pouawa would see its speed limit reversed from 80km/h back to 100km/h. A separate consultation for that section found that 53% of participants strongly opposed keeping the lower speed limit. "We have mixed feelings – disappointment on one hand and great relief on the other,” Lambert said.