Several challenged the council to produce evidence to show lower limits were warranted or suggested decision-makers try driving on the roads concerned.
The city council received more than 1500 public submissions on its 2024-27 draft speed management plan — many of them unflattering — ahead of a hearing that starts today.
The council has said its proposal was based largely on guidance from Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency as part of a drive to improve safety.
In a written submission for the Waikouaiti Coast Community Board, chairman Alasdair Morrison said community sentiment had included terms such as silly, crazy, ridiculous, stupid, potentially dangerous and "other remarks which are not suitable for inclusion in this printed document".
The council’s draft plan had the hallmarks of a desktop exercise and not a lot of on-site fieldwork, he said.
Imposing a blanket 30kmh speed limit on Waitati was ridiculous, unnecessary and likely to cause harm, he said.
The board noted 40kmh had been proposed for Beach St in Waikouaiti, but other streets in the vicinity would have 30kmh limits.
Mr Morrison asked if the council intended to place a dozen 40kmh signs at all the intersecting roads that would have 30kmh limits.
"Have you actually been out there for a look?"
In a submission for the Strath Taieri Community Board, deputy chairwoman Anna Wilson said the community wanted common sense to prevail.
Many rural roads in the area could have speed limits cut to 60kmh.
"This will create further isolation for our communities, increased travel times to events and therefore the potential for residents to forgo activities and become more isolated," Mrs Wilson said.
"We would like to know how many accidents have taken place on rural roads in our area that can be attributed solely to speed.
"We invite those who are involved in the draft speed management plan to come and spend a day in the life of a rural constituent and see the immense impact these proposed limits would have on our community, businesses and wellbeing."
The board did not agree with a 30kmh zone proposed in Middlemarch.
Otago Peninsula Community Board chairman Paul Pope said that the proposed changes did not reflect road conditions or crash data.
"Looking at the maps included in the proposal, the lack of consistency and chaotic management of certain roads is concerning," he said.
"It’s clear in our discussions with the community that these changes are deemed unnecessary, unworkable and unwanted by most of our community."
The Saddle Hill and West Harbour Community Boards were more conciliatory and had their own recommendations about what speed limits in their areas should be.
However, the Saddle Hill board several times suggested a smaller drop in speed limit than proposed by the council as "a fair compromise".
The Mosgiel-Taieri Community Board facilitated discussion with its community and made a series of observations as a result, such as that a proposed 30kmh limit in Outram was viewed as unrealistically slow and unlikely to be complied with.
The board was strongly of the view Three Mile Hill should stay at 80kmh, rather than be cut to 60kmh.
Much of the Dunedin urban area would also be subject to 30kmh limits.
