Speed limits are reviewed for many reasons, including requests from local council, Police, or the community, because of development, or due to changing road environments.
Speed limits can only be changed by the Commissioner for Transport.
The Commissioner will review a speed limit if they receive a speed limit change application from the relevant manager of that road such as the State Roads Division of the Department of State Growth, or by a local council.
What is considered when reviewing a speed limit?
Many things are looked at when a speed limit is reviewed, including:
- safety concerns
- crash history
- the condition of the road
- what the road is used for
- how many people use the road
- whether it is used by vulnerable road users, such as cyclists and pedestrians
- the number of accesses and intersections
- compliance with AustRoads and engineering guidelines
- pedestrian activity around the road
- property surrounding the road area.
How do I request a speed limit review?
To request a review of a speed limit you must first submit your request to the relevant road owner.
If it the road is owned and managed the Department of State Growth, you can send your request to us at info@stategrowth.tas.gov.au.
We will assess the request and either deny or support it. If we support it, we will process it through to the Commissioner for Transport. The Commissioner will make the final decision whether to deny or approve the request.
To request a speed limit review on a council road, submit your request to your local council who will either deny or support the request. If supported, it will be processed by the Council and sent to the Commissioner for Transport.
Recent speed limit changes
Channel Highway, Huonville
The Commissioner for Transport has approved a speed limit change for the Channel Highway between Cradoc and Huonville.
The speed limit was reviewed following community safety concerns.
A traffic and safety assessment by the Department of State Growth recommended the existing 100 km/h speed limit be reduced to 80 km/h on a 5.6-kilometre section of the Channel Highway between Cradoc and Huonville.
What is the reason for the decision?
The change provides a more consistent speed limit along the section of highway, matching the existing 80 km/h speed limit between Cradoc and Cygnet, which has a considerably lower crash rate.
The speed limit is being reduced due to the crash history, and the number of curves, driveways and road accesses along the section of highway.
Updated: 11 April 2025
Huon Highway, Grove
The Commissioner for Transport has approved a safer speed limit on the Huon Highway between Pages Road and Mountain River Road, Grove, following an assessment and recommendation by the Department of State Growth.
The speed on this 2.3 km section of road will be changed from the current 100 km/h limit to 80 km/h.
The new 80 km/h speed limit will start between Pages Road and Allens Road, which is where the current 100 km/h zone starts and will extend 300 metres north of the Mountain River Road intersection.
What is the reason for the decision?
The speed limit was reviewed due to increasing community concern over pedestrian safety issues at the Mountain River Road intersection, particularly at the bus stop along the Huon Highway.
A safer speed limit will give drivers more time to react and avoid potential crashes, particularly when pedestrians are crossing the road. It will also give pedestrians more time to safely cross the road.
Updated: 18 March 2025
Meander Valley Road, Hadspen
The Commissioner for Transport has approved a speed limit change for Meander Valley Road in Hadspen.
The existing 100 km/h speed limit will be reduced to 80 km/h on a 2.5-kilometre section of road covering the Rutherglen Road, Bartley Street and Main Street intersections in Hadspen.
What is the reason for the decision?
The speed limit is being reduced due to pedestrian activity including school children waiting for buses, the number of intersections, and the presence of curves that can affect sightlines along this section of road.
The new speed limit reduces the risk of crashes along the section of road by providing road users with extra time to react to vehicles turning off or onto Meander Valley Road. The change will add 23 seconds to the typical journey while improving safety for both road users and pedestrians.
Updated: 21 February 2025.
Bass Highway, Leith
The Commissioner for Transport has approved a speed limit change on the Bass Highway at Leith following a review.
The existing 110 km/h speed limit on a 1.6-kilometre section covering the Short Street and Braddons Lookout Road intersections will be reduced to 90 km/h.
What is the reason for the decision?
This section of the highway has been monitored since improvements were made to the two intersections in 2023 and has also been the subject of representations from the Devonport and Central Coast councils and the community for a speed limit reduction.
While the crash history at this location is relatively low, the severity can be high. Most of the serious crashes that have occurred at the two junctions have involved vehicles turning right, out of the side roads, failing to identify a safe gap in the traffic.
The review found there was another of this type of crash in January at the Short Street intersection resulting in minor injuries. It determined the potential for this type of crash - with serious consequences – remained, despite the intersection upgrades.
The proposed speed limit reduction will not have a significant impact on travel times. The theoretical increase in travel time associated with the speed limit reduction would be 12 seconds. It is also consistent with speed limits at similar sections of the Bass Highway, including near Chasm Creek and Heybridge.
Updated: 19 February 2025.
Mary Street, Cygnet
The Commissioner for Transport has approved speed limit changes on Mary Street, the section of the Channel Highway that runs through the Cygnet town centre.
The existing 50 km/h speed limit on a 600-metre section through the town’s main shopping precinct, from just south of Garthfield Avenue to the roundabout at Charlton Street, will be reduced to 40 km/h.
What is the reason for the decision?
The decision to reduce the speed limit is based on the high pedestrian activity combined with the narrow width of the road and kerbside parking along this section.
A traffic survey has shown that most vehicles are currently driving below the current 50 km/h speed limit due to the constraints and a reduction to 40 km/h is consistent with typical speeds.
The new speed limit is also consistent with the Tasmanian Speed Zoning Guidelines for streets with high pedestrian activity.
The speed limit was reviewed in response to a request from the Huon Valley Council and assessment by the Department of State Growth.
Updated: 25 October 2024.
Batman Highway, Sidmouth
The Commissioner for Transport has approved a speed limit reduction for a section of the Batman Highway through Sidmouth following a community request and assessment by the Department of State Growth.
The existing 80 km/h speed limit which covers about 800 m through the town will be reduced to 70 km/h.
What is the reason for the decision?
Reducing the speed limit to 70 km/h will provide safer access to and from the highway for residents and businesses along this section and make it safer for pedestrians and vehicles visiting the service station and general store.
The decision took into account upgrades to this section of the highway and a 70 km/h speed limit is appropriate under the Tasmanian Speed Zoning Guidelines for a rural hamlet.
Updated: 18 October 2024.
West Tamar Highway, Riverside and Trevallyn
The Commissioner for Transport has approved a speed limit change for the West Tamar Highway through Riverside and Trevallyn following an assessment by the Department of State Growth.
The existing 70 km/h speed limit will be reduced to 60 km/h for a 4.3-kilometre section of the highway between Cormiston Road, Riverside, and Deans Lane, Trevallyn, which includes the section known as Elouera Street.
What is the reason for the decision?
The decision to reduce the speed limit is based on the high crash history for this section of the highway. The road also runs through a heavily built-up residential area which contains many driveways and narrow kerbside parking lanes, as well as shops, schools, and a service station.
The speed limit was reviewed as part of the Department of State Growth’s West Tamar Highway Corridor Improvement Plan, which identified a review of speed limits in this area as an improvement opportunity. The department has also received requests from members of the local community, expressing safety concerns for this section of the highway, including Elouera Street, which is located within the area of the reduced speed limit.
Updated: 18 October 2024.
Huon Highway
The Commissioner for Transport has approved three speed limit changes on the Huon Highway, south of Geeveston, following requests by members of the local communities and assessment by the Department of State Growth.
- The existing 100 km/h speed limit on a 4.4-kilometre section of the highway between Waterloo and south of the Geeveston township will be reduced to 80 km/h. The new speed limit will match the existing 80 km/h limit on a 700-metre section of the highway to the south of the Geeveston township entrance.
- The existing 100 km/h speed limit on a 900-metre section of the highway through Raminea will be reduced to 80 km/h, matching the existing 80 km/h limit to the east, toward Dover.
- The existing 80 km/h speed limit on a 2.3-kilometre section of the highway through Glendevie will be reduced to 70 km/h, starting 100-metres north of the Police Point Road intersection and continuing south toward Dover.
What is the reason for the decision?
The speed limits are being reduced due to a combination of factors including narrow and winding road characteristics, poor sight distances and the number of driveways.
The new speed limits will improve safety for all road users by reducing the risk of crashes and providing extra time to react to vehicles entering or exiting the Huon Highway.
Updated: 11 October 2024.
Cressy Road
The Commissioner for Transport has approved a speed limit change for Cressy Road in Longford following a community request and assessment by the Department of State Growth.
The existing 80 km/h speed limit will be reduced to 60 km/h for approximately 500 metres, starting just south of Brickendon Street, Longford. The change lengthens the current 60 km/h speed zone to the south of Longford.
What is the reason for the decision?
The speed limit is being reduced due to the number of driveways as well as the Brickendon Street intersection on this section of the road.
The new speed limit will reduce the risk of crashes, providing road users with extra time to react to vehicles turning off or onto Cressy Road.
Updated: 11 October 2024.
Bass Highway
The Commissioner for Transport has approved a speed limit change for a 1.9-kilometre section of the Bass Highway between the Howth and Heybridge roundabouts.
The existing 110 km/h speed limit will be reduced to 90 km/h on this section of the highway.
What is the reason for the decision?
The decision to reduce the speed limit is based on the characteristics of this section of the highway and its history of single-vehicle loss-of-control crashes.
The lowered speed limit will reduce the risk of these types of crashes and improve safety for all road users.
Updated: 11 October 2024.
Brooker Avenue
The Commissioner for Transport has approved a speed limit change on Brooker Avenue, Queens Domain, for lanes travelling north towards New Town.
The speed limit will be reduced from 80 km/h to 70 km/h on a 360-metre section of road north of the Burnett Street intersection. This means the existing 70 km/h speed limit, which starts at the Railway Roundabout, Hobart, will be slightly longer.
The section includes a service station and the Federal Street intersection, both used as accesses to and from the highway.
What is the reason for the decision?
The speed limit is being changed due to the crash history of vehicles turning in and out of the service station and the Federal Street intersection.
The new speed limit will give road users extra time to react to those entering or exiting the highway and will only add a couple of seconds to travel times.
Updated: 23 August 2024.
Kings Meadows Connector, Midland Highway
The Commissioner for Transport has approved a speed limit change on the Midland Highway for lanes travelling south only from the Bass Highway interchange in Prospect, to just south of the Kings Meadows Connector interchange.
The existing 90 km/h speed limit between the Howick Street and Bass Highway interchanges will be made 1.9 kilometres longer to include the Kings Meadows Connector interchange. The change reduces the existing 110 km/h speed limit on this section of the highway to 90 km/h.
What is the reason for the decision?
The speed limit is being changed due to the increase in traffic using this section of highway, especially during peak hours. It is also due to the proposed new heavy vehicle driver rest area which will be installed along this section of the Midland Highway, between the two interchanges.
The change will add less than 15 seconds to the typical journey.
The speed limit was reviewed following community feedback relating to safety concerns in this area.
Updated: 23 August 2024.
Huon Highway, near Castle Forbes Bay
The Commissioner for Transport has approved a speed limit change on the Huon Highway north of Castle Forbes Bay.
The existing 100 km/h speed limit on a 1.8-kilometre section of the highway heading north from Castle Forbes Bay will be reduced to 80 km/h. The new speed limit will extend the existing 80 km/h through Castle Forbes Bay.
What is the reason for the decision?
The decision to reduce the speed limit is based on the winding nature of the road and its crash history which shows a number of crashes related to vehicles failing to negotiate the curves. Restricted sight distances for public side roads was also a factor.
The Tasmanian Speed Zoning guidelines recommends 80km/h as an appropriate limit for good standard rural highways with an elevated crash history.
The speed limit was reviewed in response to representations by the local community.
Updated: 26 July 2024.
East Derwent Highway, Lindisfarne
What is the decision?
The Commissioner for Transport has approved a speed limit reduction for a 3.8 km section of the East Derwent Highway through Rose Bay, Lindisfarne and Geilston Bay.
The speed limit on the highway between Tasman Highway and Geilston Bay Road will be reduced from 70 km/h to 60 km/h.
What is the reason for the decision?
A review of the speed limit found curves and crests on this section of the highway were not consistent with a 70 km/h speed limit. In addition, the road runs through a heavily built-up residential area with a high number of residential driveways, narrow kerbside parking lanes, and shops, service stations and schools.
This section of the highway also has a substantial crash history, with a high percentage of these being nose-to-tail type crashes, which are associated with speed.
The reduction will add about 33 seconds to current travel times, although the impact is likely to be less as traffic volumes, curves and traffic lights often mean people are already driving slower than the current 70 km/h limit.
The speed limit was reviewed following requests from the local community.
Updated: 12 July 2024
Grasstree Hill Road
What is the decision?
The Commissioner for Transport has approved a speed limit reduction for a 2.8 km section of Grasstree Hill Road near Richmond.
The speed limit along this section, between Cold Blow Road and Malcolms Hut Road will be reduced from 100 km/h to 80 km/h.
What is the reason for the decision?
A review found the sealed section of the road is narrow with unsealed shoulders and there are trees and power poles close to the road. The reduction will improve safety by providing more time for a driver to recover control of their vehicle in the event of an error.
The road is also popular with cyclists and is used by slow-moving agricultural machinery.
The new speed limit is consistent with the limit on surrounding roads, including the continuation of Grasstree Hill Road to the south.
The speed limit was reviewed following a request from the local community.
Updated: 12 June 2024.
Channel Highway at Snug
What is the decision?
The Commissioner for Transport has approved speed limit changes on Channel Highway at Snug and Lower Snug.
The existing 60 km/h speed limit through the Snug township will be reduced to 50 km/h and the existing 80 km/h limit which runs from the southern end of the town through Lower Snug will be reduced to 70 km/h.
What is the reason for the decision?
It is expected the 50 km/h limit through Snug will improve safety during times of higher activity outside of the existing 40km/h school times.
The 70 km/h limit through Lower Snug will improve safety for pedestrians and school children who need to cross the highway near Old Station Road to catch northbound buses or walk to Snug along the western side of the highway, which is safer for pedestrians.
The speed limits were reviewed in response to representations by the local community.
Updated: 16 May 2024
Patrick Street
What is the decision?
The Commissioner for Transport has approved a speed limit reduction for a section of Patrick Street in Bothwell.
A section of Patrick Street in the centre of Bothwell will be reduced from 60 km/h to 50 km/h. The speed reduction will apply to an 800m section from a point roughly between the Michael and George streets intersections to a location to the west of Dalrymple Street.
What is the reason for the decision?
The lower speed limit will improve safety for pedestrians visiting shops and services in the town centre while adding an estimated seven seconds to the current travel time.
The speed limit for Patrick Street was reviewed following a request from the Central Highlands Council.
Updated: 10 May 2024.
Tasman Highway
What is the decision?
The Commissioner for Transport has approved the following speed limit changes on the Tasman Highway between St Helens and Scamander.
- The existing 100 km/h speed limit on the Tasman Highway between St Helens and Beaumaris will be reduced to 90 km/h, a distance of 9.0 kilometres.
- The existing 80 km/h speed limit on the Tasman Highway through Beaumaris will be reduced to 70 km/h, a distance of 2.6 kilometres.
- The existing 100 km/h speed limit on the Tasman Highway between Beaumaris and Scamander will be reduced to 80 km/h, a distance of 1.3 kilometres.
What is the reason for the decision?
The reduced speed limits will improve safety for road users, pedestrians, and residents in the area. The crash history, the narrow and winding nature of sections of the road and the likelihood of pedestrians crossing the road to access the beach were key factors in the decision to lower the speed limits.
The speed limits on these sections of road were reviewed in response to representations by Break O’Day Council.
Updated: 10 April 2024.
Arthur Highway
What is the decision?
The Commissioner for Transport has approved a speed limit change on the Arthur Highway at Taranna.
The 70 km/h speed limit through Taranna will be extended by 500m to the south, ending just past the intersection with Camp Road.
What is the reason for the decision?
Reducing the existing 100 km/h speed limit to 70 km/h will provide safer access to and from the highway for residents living along this section. It will also provide more distance for vehicles travelling north on the highway to slow down ahead of the intersection with Nubeena Road.
The speed limit was reviewed in response to representations by the local community.
Updated: 5 April 2024.
Huon Highway
What is the decision?
The Commissioner for Transport has approved a speed limit change on the Huon Highway through the southern edge of Franklin.
The existing 60km/h speed limit through this section of road will be extended by 300 metres.
What is the reason for the decision?
The extended 60km/h zone will make the speed limit consistent throughout this section of road, improving safety for road users and pedestrians, and allowing drivers extra time to react to vehicles turning in or out of the driveways.
The speed limit was reviewed in response to concerns raised by the local community.
Updated: 16 February 2024
Tasman Highway, Nunamara
What is the decision?
The Commissioner for Transport has approved a speed limit change on Tasman Highway through the town of Nunamara.
The existing 70 km/h speed limit will be reduced to 60 km/h for 1.5 kilometres through the town.
What is the reason for the decision?
The new 60 km/h zone will improve safety for pedestrians, school children using the bus stop and vehicle movements around the general store.
The speed limit was reviewed in response to representations by the local community.
Updated: 31 January 2024
Cressy Road
What is the decision?
The Commissioner for Transport has approved a speed limit reduction for Cressy Road in the Cressy town centre.
The current 60km/h speed limit will be reduced to 50km/h on the entire 2.3-kilometre section through town.
What is the reason for the decision?
The decision to reduce the speed limit in Cressy is based on reported increases in visitors to a café and nearby parklet and at the outdoor swimming pool following its upgrade, resulting in more pedestrian activity in the area.
The lower speed limit will give drivers and pedestrians extra time to react and reduce the risk of crashes within the town. It will have a minimal impact on travel time and will improve safety for all road users.
The speed limit was reviewed following a request by the Northern Midlands Council on behalf of the Cressy Local District Committee.
Updated: 12 December 2023.
Zeehan Highway
What is the decision?
The Commissioner for Transport has approved a speed limit reduction for Zeehan Highway through the town centre of Zeehan.
The existing 60 km/h speed limit will be reduced to 50 km/h from south of Trial Harbour Road to south of Packer Street, a distance of 2.62 kilometres.
What is the reason for the decision?
The decision is based on the high level of interaction between traffic and pedestrians, including vulnerable road users visiting community facilities along the Zeehan main street, such as the Post Office, the RSL, and the Zeehan Primary School.
The road is also used by a high number of heavy vehicles.
The lower speed limit will give drivers and pedestrians extra time to react and reduce the risk of crashes within the town. It will have a minimal impact on travel time and will improve safety for all road users.
The speed limit was reviewed following a request by the West Coast Council on behalf of the local community.
Updated: 24 November 2023.
Tasman Highway
What is the decision?
The Commissioner for Transport has approved a speed limit reduction on two sections of the Tasman Highway.
- The speed limit at Rocky Hills, south of Swansea, will be reduced from 100 km/h to 80 km/h for a 4.2km section.
- The speed limit at Cherry Tree Hill, east of Cranbrook, will be reduced from 100 km/h to 80km/h for a 6.3km section.
What is the reason for the decision?
The decision to lower the speed limit was made based on the characteristics of the road, including the narrow, hilly and winding nature of both sections of the highway and the number of roadside hazards.
The most common crashes in this location are single vehicle loss-of-control type crashes. Lower speeds can typically be expected to reduce the likelihood of this type of crash.
The speed limit was reviewed after a request from the RACT.
Updated: 23 October 2023
Illawarra Road
What is the decision?
The Commissioner for Transport has approved speed limit changes on Illawarra Road between the Midland Highway interchange and Bishopsbourne Road near Longford.
The 100 km/h speed limit along this section will be reduced to 90 km/h.
A 2.4km section near the Longford roundabout, which currently has a limit of 80 km/h, will also be changed to 90km/h.
What is the reason for the decision?
The decision to change the speed limits follows a request by the Northern Midlands Council and the local community to lower the speed limit near the Pateena Road intersection from 100 km/h to 80 km/h.
Existing road conditions, intersections, accesses, crash history and speed limits on Illawarra Road were reviewed in making the decision.
There have been 25 reported crashes on this section of Illawarra Road in the last five years, including one fatal crash and four serious injury crashes.
The Tasmanian Speed Zoning Guidelines identify 90 km/h as an appropriate speed limit for this standard of rural highway with an elevated crash history.
Implementing a consistent 90 km/h limit will avoid repeated changes to the speed limit along this section of Illawarra Road, removing the potential for confusion and improving safety.
Updated: 26 September 2023
South Arm Road
What is the decision?
The Commissioner for Transport has approved a speed limit reduction for South Arm Road from just north of the Acton Road junction to the service station near Dona Road.
The speed limit will be changing from 70km/h to 60km/h on the 1.9km section.
What is the reason for the decision?
The decision to lower the speed limit was based on the characteristics of the road, and in particular the significant amount of traffic moving in and out of businesses on the eastern side of the road and the volume of traffic travelling through.
The 60km/h speed limit is supported by the Tasmanian Speed Zoning Guidelines.
The speed limit was reviewed following a request from the local community.
Updated: Friday, 22 September 2023
Channel Highway from Kettering to Deep Bay
What is the decision?
The Channel Highway will become 80 km/h all the way from Kettering to Deep Bay from next month (September 2023).
The Commissioner for Transport has approved a speed limit reduction on four sections of the highway to provide a consistent speed limit for the entire length.
The changed speed limit will come into effect once the new speed limit signs have been installed, which is scheduled for 21-25 August 2023. ‘New speed limit ahead’ signs will also be placed to warn road users of the change.
What is the reason for the decision?
The decision to lower the speed limits was based on the characteristics of the different sections of the road, including the winding nature of the road and to improve safety.
Drivers will now know that the speed limit along this whole stretch is 80 km/h when previously Kettering to Woodbridge, Woodbridge to Middleton, and Gordon and Verona Sands were 90 km/h and Charlotte Cove to Deep Bay was 100 km/h.
Middleton to Gordon and Verona Sands to Charlotte Cove were already 80 km/h.
The speed limits on these sections were reviewed after a motorcycle road safety audit of the Channel Highway from Margate to Verona Sands and a request from the community.
Updated 15 August 2023
Gordon River Road
What is the decision?
The Commissioner for Transport has approved a speed limit reduction on a 1.9-kilometre section of Gordon River Road through Fitzgerald.
The current speed limit of 80 km/h will be reduced to 70 km/h, bringing this section of Gordon River Road into line with other sections of the state road network.
The changed speed limit will come into effect once the new speed limit signs have been installed, which is expected to be from 21-25 August. ‘New speed limit ahead’ signs will also be placed to warn road users of the change.
What are the reasons for this decision?
The decision to lower the speed limit was made based on the characteristics of the road, including its winding nature.
Updated 15 August 2023