Twenty submissions have been received following a proposal by NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA) to make a section of State Highway 6 free of parking.

The section of road the proposal relates to is around the entrance to the Kiwi Water Park at Lowburn, near Cromwell.

An NZTA spokesperson said of the submissions received, eight were in support of the no-stopping area, seven were neutral and five were opposed.

Submissions closed on April 3.

The next stage will involve consideration of all the submissions, a summary report and recommendations.

The area that could become a no-stopping zone runs for 1.3km. IMAGE: Supplied

“If there is enough support for this change, restrictions will be included in the relevant state highway bylaw and implemented prior to 30 June, 2024. If not, there will be no change.”

The proposal affects a 1.3km section on both sides of SH6.

In an earlier statement, NZTA noted the inflatables water park and people accessing Lake Dunstan have dedicated, safe parking on LINZ land nearby, which meant there was no need for on-highway parking. 

NZTA has confirmed the proposal was in response to a number of crashes in the area, so it was doing all it could to make it safer.

“This is essential given SH6 has a 100km/h upper speed limit so anyone pulling onto the highway is risking a serious injury crash, or worse,” NZTA team lead safety engineers Roy Johnston said.