In late 2023 a $5.2 million crossing upgrade outside Pembroke School was confirmed by the NZ Transport Agency.
It would have led to a radical safety improvement for the school’s Thames Highway crossing.
Principal Brent Godfery said to now have that cancelled, under revised transport funding last month, was a "big disappointment".
"That crossing down the end of our road is highly dangerous. All that work and God knows how much they wasted on consultancies and that sort of stuff, and then they pulled the pin."
He previously told Radio NZ a Pembroke pupil had been struck on the crossing and broke a leg.
Mr Godfery told the Oamaru Mail they had funded staff for years to monitor the safety of pupils on the existing crossing.
"People just don’t stop.
"I’ve nearly been hit myself standing in a big orange jacket standing on the edge of the pedestrian crossing."
There had also been multiple nose-to-tail crashes "quite frequently", where stationary vehicles waiting at the crossing for pupils to cross were rear-ended.
The upgrade now canned would just make it more difficult for pupils to walk to school independently.
"They (pupils) should be able to get there themselves, they shouldn’t have to rely on an adult to walk them across. Especially the older ones."
The government announced its 2024-27 Land Transport Programme last month.
While it boasted a $32.9 billion investment for "roads of national significance" and pothole fixes, traffic calming funding was slashed.
Also from the beginning of October, the government’s new setting of speed limits rule passed into effect, removing the permanent 30 kmh speed limit around schools.
This means that by July next year all speed limits are to be variable — lower limits will only be in force at certain times, like school drop-off and pick-up times.
Transport Minister Simeon Brown described this as a "sensible approach", despite expert evidence to the contrary that lower speeds and raised crossing platforms save lives.
Waitaki District mayor Gary Kircher said he was as disappointed as Mr Godfery.
"They were looking at how they could cut out wasteful spending but I think this was a situation where there was going to be a lot of benefits," he said.
Waitaki MP Miles Anderson said the Land Transport Programme was developed to encompass all of New Zealand, rather than on an individual basis.
"Part of the problem was NZ Transport Agency had proposed a lot of things we can’t afford and are looking to probably make savings here and there."
However, Mr Anderson said he was open to lobbying on Pembroke School’s behalf.
"If the community feels there was a definite need for something on the main road, I’m more than happy to go in to bat with them.
"Come and see me and we’ll discuss it."
However, he had not personally been in contact with anyone from Pembroke School.
"It’s only a recent decision, so that might be under way."
