Reduce the speed.
That’s what Longbeach School students told councillors needed to happen outside their rural Mid Canterbury school – and they’re likely to get their wish.
The student leaders told the councillors their principal, Neil Simons, had requested a speed reduction back in 2009 and the school was still waiting which was “not okay”.
“It’s now 2022 and the speed limit past our school remains at 100kph,” Addison Griffiths said.
The students wanted to know why other schools have had speed reductions, but their road “remained a significant danger to the children who cross this daily”.
Their presentation was soon followed by the Ashburton District Council revealing speed of its own by approving an interim speed management plan to go out for public consultation.
It would focus on reductions around schools, including Longbeach School.
Roading manager Mark Chamberlain said as a category 2 rural school it was eligible for a 60kph variable speed limit.
“It hasn’t been enabled to have a lower speed limit under previous rules and guides, and getting approval from Waka Kotahi for a reduction,” he said.
“Longbeach, along with other rural schools, have actually got the ability to reduce the speed limit on those [roads] now.”
Chamberlain said the council had about $600,000 to install variable speed signs.
Chamberlain said the hope was to have the school changes in place for the start of the new school year.
Reducing speeds around schools is an important safety measure Chamberlain said, but it’s not where the fatalities happen.
“We are doing our schools and everyone says, ‘schools, that’s great. That’s easy’, but that’s not where we are having our crashes and our fatalities.
“Our fatalities are on rural roads and rural intersections in particular, and yet they seem to be the ones we want to do the least work on and that’s part of the discussion we still have to have.”

• By Jonathan Leask