Open speed limit expanded in Northern Territory

Following its removal of speed limits on a 204km stretch of the Stuart Highway in February 2014, the Northern Territory (NT) government has extended the trial to include another 74km of highway.

The extra length of road runs between Barrow Creek to near the Ali Curung Rail Overpass and is part of the NT government's desire to deliver on its election promise of scrapping Outback speed limits.

"The return of open speed limits was an election commitment that the Giles Government is pleased to be delivering using an evidence-based approach," said NT Transport Minister Peter Styles.

"Since announcing the first phase of the open-speed-limit trial on a 204km stretch between Barrow Creek and Alice Springs last year, we have been assessing further sections of road that might also be suitable for a revised limit."

"Today's extension will mean 276km of the highway is now covered by the trial which I know will be welcome news to frequent road users, especially in the Barkly [region] and central Australia," he said.

The extension of the open-speed-limit trial, which is due to end February 2015, is being matched by $1.55 million worth of safety and signage upgrades, says the government. This will include the installation of new guard rails on bridges and overpasses, repainted line markings, and reflective road markers.

"Over the past 10 years there has not been a single speed-related fatality on this new stretch of road," said Styles.

"I want to remind Territorians that while we are giving them back this opportunity to set their own safe speed, it comes with responsibility.

"This is not a licence to drive recklessly; it’s a licence to drive responsibly."

The Northern Territory is the only state or territory that has a speed limit above 110km/h but the New South Wales government has hinted that it would be amenable to having a 120km/h limit on some roads.

In an address to parliament earlier this month, NSW Roads Minister Duncan Gay said some New South Wales roads were of a high enough quality to raise the speed limit.

"I think that in the future we need to look at perhaps increasing speed limits by 5km or 10km per hour, if that is safe, on roads that are built to a certain standard," said Gay.

Minister Gay noted that the 120km/h speed limit should not apply in wet weather, and said the NSW government would be closely monitoring the NT open-speed-limit trial.

The NT government says its open-speed-limit trial has been a success thus far.

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