The Queenstown Lakes District Council seems to have stumbled on a way to keep more ratepayers happy.
Simply lower speed limits.
In August, the council publicised a list of streets and roads where it proposed to reduce limits, and called for public submissions.
Eighty were received and of those 50 supported the reduction the council suggested while 10 opposed change.
Bev Lovelock, of Mt Barker Rd, near Wanaka, wrote to congratulate the council on its proposal for an 80kmh limit on her road.
"We are fully supportive of the proposal."
Dr Valerie Miller, of Slopehill Rd, Queenstown, believed the council had not gone far enough on her road.
"The reduction to 70kmh is not sufficient."
The majority of those opposed to change came from Peninsula Rd, Queenstown, and considered a speed reduction along part of the road was unnecessary.
Jerry Stockdale, for instance, said the problem was not the limit but that it was not observed.
"If the police would just make them go the speed limit, there would be no need to lower it."
Marlene Hardinge believed 50kmh was too slow and Sally Stockdale agreed.
"Enforce the 70 zone. Your problems will disappear."
Susan Smith, on the other hand, "totally endorsed" a lower limit on Peninsula Rd.
"Our grandchildren and others have to make a dash across the road."
Robin Webb opposed a reduction in speed limit to 70kmh for the Lake Hayes to Arrowtown road, suggesting the council proposal "smacks of someone trying to justify his/her existence by fiddling".
In contrast, the Stark family was looking forward to a lower speed limit.
"The sooner the better."
Alison Nobel, of Willowridge Developments Ltd, Wanaka, supported lower limits but called for better forward planning by the council.
She noted the company had been required to create access and turn lanes into its subdivisions from roads with 80kmh limits.
Changing the limits to 70kmh meant the company had funded "over-designed" access ways, she said.
Only one submitter took up the invitation to address a public hearing panel of Deputy Mayor Lyall Cocks and Cr Simon Stamers-Smith in Wanaka yesterday.
Andrew Howard said he supported reducing the Aubrey Rd, Wanaka, speed limit from 80kmh to 70kmh but would like to see the speed limit on approaches to the roundabout outside his house reduced to 50kmh because of the number of children who crossed the road at that point.
No submitters suggested raising speed limits.
The panel reconvenes in Queenstown next Tuesday.
