Put the brakes on road sign vandalism

Far North District Council is counting the cost of a surge in vandalism targeting recently installed speed limit signs.

New speed limits have been rolled out in stages across the district since 2019. The changes have only been made following extensive public consultation with affected communities and have so far affected district roads around Kāeo, Waipapa, Waimate North and Ōkaihau, followed by Kaitāia-Awaroa and Broadwood-Kohukohu in 2021. The most recent changes have occurred in the Bay of Islands-Whangaroa catchment.

Following each change to speed limits, there has been a surge in the destruction of road signs. This has not only affected speed limit signs; larger road safety signs have also been damaged or removed completely. This includes signs warning drivers of bends ahead, One Way Bridge warnings, Stop and Give way signs and even road name signs. It costs ratepayers approximately $2600 to replace or repair larger signs and around $750 for speed limit signs.

Tanya Proctor, Head of Infrastructure Strategy says destruction of road signs endangers the lives of other road users and does not alter the legal requirement to obey road rules.

“If you feel that strongly about the issue, tell us what you think during consultations. We ask every affected community for their views before decisions are made. We’re running one right now for our review of Russell-Kororāreka speed limits.”

She says the vandalism almost always occurs along rural roads at night, ensuring there are no witnesses who could identify those responsible.

In 2020-21, it cost ratepayers close to $40,000 to repair signs targeted by vandals in the Bay of Islands Ward and more than $20,000 to repair signs installed along the Kaitaia-Awaroa Ahipara-Mangamuka route in 2022-23.