Submissions

This page provides a quick link to recent submissions by the RCA Forum.

Submissions

Setting of Speed Limits Rule (2017)

This introduced a new approach to setting speed limits. Consultation ran from 4 May to 16 June 2017. The RCA Forum coordinated feedback from members and collaborated with Local Government New Zealand to make a submission through LGNZ. A total of 407 submissions were received from the following submitter types:

Submitter type No. of submitters
Road controlling authorities 26
Individuals 351
Businesses and advocacy/special interest groups 16
Industry associations 5
Road transport Industry 5
Government – other groups 4

There were a large number of comments on technical issues around setting speed limits. However, no submitter considered that the new Rule would fail in its key objective of enabling a road controlling authority to set safe and appropriate speed limits. The new Rule came into force on 21 September 2017.

Energy Innovation (Electric Vehicles and Other Matters) Amendment Bill

The Commerce Committee sought submissions on the Energy Innovation (Electric Vehicles and Other Matters) Amendment Bill. The bill amended the Land Transport Act 1998 and the Road User Charges Act 2012 to implement measures to encourage the uptake of electric vehicles (EVs), specifically by extending the road user charge exemption to include heavy electric vehicles and clarifying a bylaw-making power so that road controlling authorities may make bylaws to provide for EVs to have access to bus and high occupancy vehicle lanes. It also amended the Electricity Industry Act 2010 and the Energy (Fuels, Levies, and References) Act 1989 to allow the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority (EECA) to focus levy funding on the areas where the greatest impact can be made, as well as to improve the operation and administration of those levies, and the Electricity Industry Act 2010 to clarify how electricity industry legislation applies to secondary networks as a growing business model in the sector.

Land Transport Amendment Bill

The Bill introduced a raft of changes dealing with alcohol interlocks, fare evasion, fleeing drivers, heavy vehicles, small passenger services and various miscellaneous amendments. LGNZ led a joint submission by LGNZ, the TSIG of regional councils and the RCA Forum.

Petition 2014/59 of Joanne Clendon

The Shared Footpaths Group strongly supported the RCA Forum submission on the petition of Joanne Clendon to change the Road User Rule to allow cycling on footpaths by children under 14 years of age, accompanying adults, seniors over the age of 65, or vulnerable adults; to make bells mandatory for any bicycle used on footpaths or shared use paths; and to allow local authorities to exclude, on a reasonable basis, certain areas of footpath from being used for cycling. See Select Committee Report on the petition. See Government response to Select Committee Report.