What we are proposing

• Wellington City Council (WCC) collected feedback on changing the permanent speed limit on Aotea Quay from 70km/h to either 50km/h or 60km/h.
  • Since the installation of the roundabout on Aotea Quay, the current applicable speed limit on Aotea Quay is a temporary speed limit of 50km/h.
  • The permanent speed limit in the National Speed Limit Register (NSLR) is 70km/h.
  • We propose to change the permanent speed limit on Aotea Quay within the NSLR to either 50km/h or 60km/h.

Please check the timeline for next steps on this consultation. Please see the documents section for the Traffic Resolution Report, FAQ's and Cost-benefit Disclosure Statement.

• The signalised intersection of Aotea Quay with the Container Terminal (CT) yard was redesigned with a roundabout as part of the Let's Get Wellington Moving (LGWM) Thorndon Quay and Hutt Road improvements. The primary purpose of the roundabout was to improve ferry terminal access and turning opportunities for heavy vehicles and mitigate the effects of traffic growth on Hutt Road and Thorndon Quay.
• The design of the roundabout went through public consultation in 2021 and 2022. Due to land acquisition constraints, the diameter of this roundabout was designed by LGWM for a 50km/h operating speed. The Pūroro Waihanga | Infrastructure Committee approved the final design for these changes on 24 August 2022, with agreement from Councillors that the 70km/h speed limit on Aotea Quay will be reviewed in the draft Speed Management Plan.
• The draft Speed Management Plan was withdrawn from further consideration by Council in June 2023. The roundabout construction was completed in April 2024. However, the speed limit on Aotea Quay still needed to be reviewed to address the safety risk of heavy vehicles travelling through the roundabout at a higher speed than the 50km/h design speed.
• In June 2024, Wellington City Council consulted on changing the speed limit on Aotea Quay from 70km/h to 50km/h (TR86-24). TR86-24 did not receive any public feedback and was approved by the Koata Hātepe | Regulatory Processes Committee on 8 August 2024.
• Following the Committee approval, this speed limit change was not submitted to the NSLR (National Speed Limit Register) in time before the new Land Transport Rule: Setting of Speed Limits 2024 (the Rule) was signed by the Minister of Transport on 28 September 2024. Therefore, the Committee approved permanent speed limit of 50km/h could not legally be changed.
• Wellington City Council consulted on a 50km/h proposed speed limit in TR08-26 from 28 October 2025 to 9 December 2025 to meet the new mandatory consultation requirements set out by the Rule.
• Due to the public feedback received on TR08-26, we are reconsulting with two options for the proposed permanent speed limit - 50km/h and 60km/h.

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