Western Bay of Plenty District Council is facing the tough task of finding 'middle ground” after more than 1000 people signed a petition against a proposal to drop the speed limit on State Highway 2 around Te Puke.

Council's operations committee yesterday heard more than 10 verbal submissions on the proposed change, after more than 400 were submitted on the issue.

A 1000-strong petition is against the proposed speed-limit drop in Te Puke.

Among those at the hearing between local residents, council and the NZ Transport Agency was Te Puke Economic Development Group (EDG), who submitted a 1035-strong petition on speed limits, road naming and future needs for SH2.

At the hearing, the group's managing director Mark Boyle said people and businesses support the EDG's position that no change should be made to the current speed limits.

Any change will seriously affect the efficiency of transportation through the district, while current speed limits are safe and it is important that sensible travel times are maintained, argued Mark.

'State Highway 2 is a key route and feeder to economic and community activity,” he said. 'Te Puke will continue to see economic expansion.

'Te Puke needs to be clearly identified with good signage to and from the township and we must support our town centre and retailers in their efforts to define Te Puke as a destination.”

The EDG has developed a proposal for revised parking, local lanes and through lanes and are asking council to trial it in the near future.

The hearing, at the Te Puke War Memorial Hall, comes after a month-long submission process on the variety of speed limit changes and new names proposed for State Highway 2 between Domain Road and Paengaroa.

Mark was supported at the hearing from a broad cross-section of groups including the kiwifruit post-harvest industry, retailers, tourism operators, town centre landlords, sports groups and residents.

And he is hopeful common sense will prevail.

'Those that signed our petition are truly representative of our entire community.

'The will of the people has been very clearly defined and articulated.”

Western Bay of Plenty Mayor Ross Paterson says two main themes have emerged after a 'full days” hearing

And he admitted that opposition to changing speed limits and the need for road safety is something the council must weigh up come deliberation time next month.

According to the public who submitted, there will be 25 per cent less traffic on the road once the Tauranga Eastern Link opens later this year, therefore it should be a safer road.

But Ross is disappointed they didn't listen to NZTA's submission on the necessity of road safety.

'NZTA spoke on road safety and the fact that we have lost on average six lives there in the last three or four years and the seriousness of that,” he said.

'So it's two completely different positions and council is having to find a middle ground on that somewhere.”

Along with the speed limits, two new stretches of road need to be renamed – from Domain Road to Te Puke Quarry Road (Western end) and from No 1 Road to the intersection with SH33 at Paengaroa (Eastern end).

Jellicoe Street, from Te Puke Quarry Road through Te Puke to No 1 Road, will not be changed.

Proposed names so far for the western side of the existing SH2 are McNaughton Road, Long Swamp Road, Packhouse Road, Whiteside Road, Jutland Road (relating to the WWI naval battle involving Admiral John Jellicoe), Green Road and Gold Road.

Suggestions for the Eastern stretch are Goodness Highway, Te Kapua Road (Captain of the Te Arawa canoe), Huanui Highway (translation – Highway), Jutland Road, Packhouse Road, Green Road and Gold Road.

Ross said many have submitted in support of the highway having a name that identifies a sense of place, therefore the name Te Puke should must be included.

'The main theme is that the word Te Puke is somewhere in the road name,” said Ross.

'Whether it's Te Puke Highway, it should give a sense of location and give people - whether they are travellers or locals - the destiny and the knowledge that ‘you are in the Te Puke area so this is part of Te Puke'.

'There has been a whole range of suggestions, but at the end of the day let's identify this as Te Puke.”

Following yesterday's hearing, council staff will provide a summary of submissions and recommendations for the operations committee to deliberate on.

A final decision will be made at the committee's meeting on April 22 at 1.30pm.

The proposed speed limit changes.

Other considerations presented by the Te Puke EDG:

Passing Bays and Passing Lanes are needed along SH 2 to improve transport efficiency.

Road maintenance is essential. A repeat of the 2014 calamity with new sealed roading west of the township collapsing within days of completion due to heavy rainfall can not be allowed to happen again.

New roundabout and linkage systems to meet economic growth, particularly in the kiwifruit industry, must be planned and implemented at Te Puke Quarry Road/No 3 Road.

Improved access to Washer Road, the linking of Washer Road and Collins Lane, No 1 Road and access to the planned Rangiuru Business Park from the highway in the vicinity of Affco.