LISMORE MP Janelle Saffin says all local motorists and their passengers will welcome the Minns Labor Government’s commonsense change to remove road work speed limits outside of construction hours, when it is safe to do so.
“Our entire area could be called a construction zone with the large number of roads under repair due to the flood damage,” Ms Saffin said.
“Thank goodness that they are funded from the Federal-State Government’s Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements (DRFA) as local councils could not otherwise afford them.
“I am forever on the road given that the Lismore Electorate covers over 16,000 square kilometres from Tenterfield to the Tweed Valley and dutifully stick to the speeds (not all do) in construction zones after hours or where no work is underway.
“Of course, you still have to use judgement and care based on the state of the road.”
The change delivers on an election commitment made by NSW Labor before the last election and scraps one of the state’s most annoying road rules.
From today (Wednesday 1 July 2026) the law will require temporary speed limits in all road work zones across the state to be managed in compliance with the new Standard, now finalised and published by Transport for NSW.
The updated Traffic Control at Work Sites (TCAWS) Standard outlines requirements to be used at all work sites in NSW, to safely manage speed limits in construction zones.
This means that from today (July 1), speed reductions in construction zones must be removed during non-work hours, when it is safe to do so.
If there are no workers on site and out of work hours, the road work speed limit will be increased, as long as it is safe for motorists and pedestrians.
This is a commonsense change from the Minns Labor Government that will help motorists reach their destinations safely and efficiently, without being unnecessarily slowed down.
All road users must comply with the posted speed limit, including where speed limits are reduced due to road work, which often result in changed road conditions.
The new Standard has been published in the NSW Government Gazette and the Transport for NSW Transport Standards website.
