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Speed cameras to quadruple nationally as Waka Kotahi takes over operations
Numbers of speed cameras are set to quadruple as NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA) takes over their operations from police, the transport agency has said.
Director of regional relationships Emma Speight said there were currently under 200 “safety” cameras on the roads, but the agency was “looking at going to 800”, in response to questions at the joint Nelson Tasman regional transport committee.
Speight said the figure of 800 would be moved to “over a number of years”.
NZTA is calling them “safety cameras” in a Cabinet-ordered attempt “to shift the public away from perceptions that safety cameras are an enforcement, revenue-gathering tool”.
“This is an area in which we are very interested in your views,” Speight told councillors.
“We can certainly start putting them onto state highways in this region if you’d like them in particular locations.”
At present, police operate safety cameras in New Zealand. However, responsibility for is being transferred to NZTA.
The agency has plans to augment both the number and the type of safety cameras, which will include point to point (or average speed safety cameras) red light, cameras that can detect mobile phone use and seatbelt usage, and static cameras.
At present, police operate safety cameras in New Zealand. However, responsibility for is being transferred to NZTA. Photo: RNZ / Samuel Rillstone
Average speed safety cameras work by calculating vehicle speed across the length of a road between two or more cameras. The time taken for a vehicle to travel between the cameras is measured, and the average speed calculated.
The agency is already rolling out point to point cameras on six Auckland roads, NZTA announced in October.
A spokesperson, in response to questions from Stuff, said a formal handover had not yet occurred, and was expected to take place from around mid-2024.
Safety cameras, Speight said, were “proved to reduce the number of people being killed and seriously injured on our roads”.
New Zealand had the lowest number of safety cameras per capita, and was “in the bottom third of the OECD” for road deaths.
Nelson Mayor Nick Smith said there would be strong community support for cameras if they were focused on safety, and not revenue gathering.
Nelson Mayor Nick Smith said the community would back the installation of safety cameras, provided they were focused on safety and not revenue gathering. Photo: RNZ / Dom Thomas
Smith said he would like to see the NZTA and council staff work on sections with black spots and accidents, where speed needed to be kept under control.
However, the “temptation” for agencies under revenue pressure, was to “clip” lots of people on main highways in spots with large volumes of traffic where there wasn’t a substantive safety issue, he said.
According to the agency’s website, it is currently “establishing the systems, processes and capability to enable functionality” to transfer safety camera operations.
While it will also process offences for safety cameras operated by other road controlling authorities (RCAs), police will still have an enforcement role in radar and laser detection.
Speight said point to point cameras were already being used in Auckland, and around the globe, and were very effective at maintaining safe speeds that were signposted.
“In areas where you’re seeing significant growth, and we’re still getting crashes that are causing harm … they can be really useful.”
A six-month trial of mobile phone and seatbelt detection safety cameras was run across three locations in Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland last year. (file image) Photo: Photo / 123RF
The use of average speed cameras in New Zealand has been enabled by the recent passing of the Land Transport (Road Safety) Amendment Act into legislation.
A six-month trial of mobile phone and seatbelt detection safety cameras was run across three locations in Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland last year.
Data from the trial shows that of 12,870,563 vehicles, 199,515 mobile phone offences were recorded, and 43,444 seatbelt offences were detected.
According to the agency’s website, the use of safety cameras to enforce mobile phone and seatbelt offences is currently not permitted under the Land Transport Act 1998, and the Te Manatū Waka Ministry of Transport is exploring options to enable their use.
– This story was first published by Stuff.
VIA RNZ
The chief executive of the Parliamentary Service is confident there will be enough room to accommodate the increased number of MPs and their staff coming into Parliament.
On current numbers, up to 131 MPs could be sitting in the Chamber following the election, brought on by a record overhang result.
Clerk of the House of Representatives Dr David Wilson told the Spinoff that currently the debating chamber had enough chairs to seat 124 MPs – including the Speaker of the House – and work was being done to accommodate more by altering the seating arrangement.
In a statement, Parliamentary Service chief executive Rafael Gonzalez-Montero said planning for a larger Parliament had been going for “some time”.
“Now that the election results have confirmed an increase to the number of members we are looking at several options.
“We are confident we will be able to accommodate all members within the Chamber.”
VNP / Phil Smith
Gonzalez-Montero said office accommodation for members and their staff would be “stretched” for a short time, but the new Members’ Building was only a few months away from “practical completion”.
That building – located behind Parliament – was due to be ready to occupy in April next year and had capacity to accommodate around 30 backbench MPs.
“All members should be in fit-for-purpose accommodation from that point,” Gonzalez-Montero said.
Following the 2023 election, 123 MPs sat in the Chamber – a record number at the time. That decreased to 122 following the resignation of National MP Judith Collins.
Collins held the seat of Papakura and stepped down in May and Parliament voted against holding a by-election because it was too close to the election.
The election result also meant high-ranking National Party MPs like Chris Bishop, Paul Goldsmith, Nicola Willis and Gerry Brownlee – Speaker of the House and an MP for 30 years – would likely not make it back into Parliament.
Only resigning or retiring MPs were permitted to give a valedictory speech meaning none of them would get the chance to give a valedictory statement.
Asked if their would be special allowances for valedictories, Wilson said in a statement that normally only MPs were allowed to speak in the House but the House could suspend its own rules or temporarily alter them.
“It could do so to allow former members to address the House.”
Wilson said no such arrangements could be made until the next Parliament opened and members sworn in.
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