A no-stopping rule has been imposed along a section of State Highway 6 (SH6), near the entrance to the inflatables water park on Lake Dunstan.

NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA) announced the move, stating it would ensure a safer summer for those wanting to pull up to enjoy what the area near Lowburn has to offer.

The move comes following consultation with the public on NZTA’s proposal to remove roadside parking near Kiwi Water Park.

After considering all the views received, NZTA is now putting a no-stopping rule in place.

The aim is to safeguard road users and Lake Dunstan visitors from highway traffic along a 1.3 km stretch of SH6 by discouraging people from parking on the highway around the entrance to the inflatables park and Lake Dunstan.

NZTA’s team lead safety engineers Roy Johnston said the water park and people accessing Lake Dunstan have dedicated, safe parking on Land Information New Zealand (LINZ) land nearby, so there was no need for on-highway parking.

“This change is essential given SH6 has a 100km/hour upper speed limit so anyone pulling out onto the highway is risking a serious injury crash or worse,” he said.

The graphic above shows the no stopping at all times restriction area. PHOTO: NZTA

A total of 20 submissions were received on the no-stopping proposal.

Of those, eight were in support of the no-stopping rule, five were opposed, of which two related to the recently installed boundary fence and one related to the Kiwi Water Park operation.

A further seven were neutral on the proposal or provided feedback on matters not within the scope of consultation, such as speed management and the intersection of SH6 and Lowburn Valley Rd.

Signage will now be installed, prohibiting parking 24/7 along 1300 metres of SH6 south of the Lowburn Bridge.

However, an education approach will be taken over the next month or so, prior to being enforced.

As a result of the decision, a bylaw in accordance with the Land Transport Management Act 1998 is being updated. 

An NZTA spokesperson said other issues raised in consultation related to speed management and improvements to the intersection of SH6 and Lowburn Valley Rd. 

Speed management will be considered once the Government has updated the setting of speed limits rule. 

The intersection concerns have been added to NZTA’s issues database to inform development of future work programmes.