Lowering the speed limit outside the Clutha Valley Primary School will be welcomed by the community, the rural school's principal says.
The Clutha District Council yesterday approved dropping the speed limit on Clutha Valley Rd and Tuapeka Mouth Rd from 100kmh to 70kmh, subject to consultation with the New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA).
Val Ward said the 100kmh limit had been a concern since she started as principal in 2002.
The school surveyed the Clutha Valley community in 2013 and ''100% of respondents'' favoured cutting the speed limit outside the 108-pupil school.
''We are the only school in South Otago with a 100kmh zone directly outside the school,'' Mrs Ward said.
Clutha District Council engineer and contracts manager Christian Bopp noted at yesterday's council meeting a 2008 coroner's report into a fatal crash at the Allangrange Rd intersection called for the council to ensure the entire intersection was covered by a 70kmh limit.
He said under national land transport rules, a 70kmh zone for 500m would be appropriate for the area and initially proposed a 500m 70kmh zone that started for 300m on Clutha Valley Rd and finished 200m past the Allangrange Rd intersection on Tuapeka Mouth Rd.
However, Cr Geoff Blackmore argued successfully for the council to accept the school's preference and shift the 500m zone so 400m of Clutha Valley Rd - in front of the school - had the reduced limit.
Constable Rochelle Gordon, of Balclutha, who also spoke in favour of a change at the public forum before yesterday's council meeting, said police fully supported ''any reduction'' in speed limits in the area. She said there were no visual cues to make drivers realise they were entering an area that might pose risks.
''A lot of people don't know it's a school until they're right on it - and then it's too late,'' she said.
''People are not expecting there to be a reduction there and right now there isn't.''
The NZTA would now be consulted as part of the wider bylaw consultation process, and then the council would consider submissions and make a final decision, a council spokeswoman said.
''At this stage, timing depends on how long consultation takes, but if the bylaw is changed, the council would expect to have [the change] implemented before the end of the year,'' she said.
