The New Zealand Transport Agency is considering beefing up security measures after Hawke’s Bay’s first set of average speed safety cameras were chopped down by vandals weeks before they were due to go live.
The cameras, installed between Te Hauke and Pakipaki on State Highway 2 south of Hastings, were damaged after the arms attaching them to the poles were cut off, NZTA's head of driving regulation Chris Rodley told 1News.
"One camera was subsequently found."
The incident is the latest in a series of vandalism incidents involving speed cameras and trailers.
The country’s fleet of mobile speed camera trailers were vandalised 18 times since hitting the roads a year ago.
Kiwis can expect more eyes on the road this year, with the speed camera fleet set to increase across the country. (Source: 1News)
Earlier this month, an average speed camera in Redvale, north of Auckland, was chopped down at the base.
The Hawke's Bay cameras were expected to be activated on September 29 but this was now delayed until around mid-late November.
"Unfortunately, the delay in making these safety cameras operational is the result of an instance of vandalism which required repair work before the cameras could be commissioned," Rodley said.
The transport agency was weighing its options to improve security around the cameras.
Rodley said the section between Te Hauke and Pakipaki "has a high risk of people being killed or seriously injured in crashes".
"The types of crashes, traffic volumes, and driver behaviour all point to speed being a key contributing factor. We ran a speed survey on this stretch of road in July 2025, which showed that around 16% of drivers were speeding," he said.
The Government hopes sign-posting speed cameras will encourage Kiwis to drive to the speed limit, the rollout will be completed by June 2025. (Source: 1News)
"International experience shows that average-speed cameras can reduce deaths and serious injuries on suitable roads by around 48%. By encouraging more drivers to travel at the speed limit, these cameras help reduce both the likelihood and severity of crashes."
Average-speed safety cameras calculate a vehicle’s speed over a length of road by measuring the time it takes to travel between two or more cameras, NZTA said. Drivers are only ticketed if their average speed across the entire section is over the limit. They are not triggered by a single camera or a brief moment of speeding.
A police spokesperson confirmed a report had been received on September 7 regarding damage to two cameras on SH2 – one in the Pakipaki area and one near Ōtāne.
"Enquiries are underway but there is no further information available at this stage."
Anyone with information was asked to contact police on 105 or anonymously via Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
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