Member for Barwon Roy Butler has created a petition against proposed speed limit reductions to represent the regional community's needs against what he says is a 'nanny-state proposal'.

Mr. Butler hopes this will make parliament see the views of people who live in the country, and how the reductions might affect them.

The Labor government made the proposal to reduce speeds on unsigned roads with aims to slash the number of road fatalities in half by 2030.

Last Thursday 13 November Mr Butler outlined his stance in NSW Parliament, addressing Minister for Roads and Regional Transport Jenny Aitchison.

Public submissions closed on Monday 10 November and the government is now analysing the data to determine what happens next.

Nothing will change if the nation's state governments vote not to implement the proposal, even if the federal parliament pushes ahead.

So Mr Butler is leading a campaign to educate the NSW Parliament ahead of any official discussions.

He addressed his concerns to Minister for Roads and Regional Transport Jenny Aitchison.

He said the proposal to reduce the default limit on unsigned roads outside of built-up areas from 100 kilometres per hour (km/h) to as low as 70 km/h would have an "unacceptable impact on the daily lives of country people."

"A lower speed limit means longer trips and less time in the day for family, community and work," he says.

"It would increase the isolation that many country people experience, which has its own negative health impacts.

“Country people deserve respect for our ability to drive to local conditions, and we reject this nanny-state proposal to remove our freedoms”.  

Member for Barwon Roy Butler's petition has over 500 signatures as of Monday 17 November [IMAGE: SUPPLIED ROY BUTLER].

In response, Minister Aitchison said she is not pushing for blanket speed limits across the state.

She highlights that although a speed zone should be appropriate to the conditions of the road, it is only one element to safe roads.

"I've heard [the] Nationals saying that this is a “lazy fix” for road safety.

"The reality is that this is a lazy fix from their side."

She says the National Party neglected regional roads when they were in power, leading to the current unsafe state of unsealed roads.

"It happened after a decade of under investment in our road network, of not putting in the required investment in road infrastructure, in road widening, in wider shoulder lanes, in having rough rails for motorcyclists, all of those things that are important to save lives."

However, in the Draft Central West & Orana Strategic Integrated Transport Plan released to the public earlier this month, Ms Aitchison's department appears to support reduced speed limits in order to reduce.

'Outside of population centres, reductions in speed limits on higher speed roads can also deliver safety benefits.' the plan says.

The Draft Plan indicated that Transport for NSW can 'address speed-related FSIs in the region by … implementing safer speed settings, supported by clear visual cues, to encourage lower, more appropriate travel speeds.'

“Now is the time for people to sign my petition and show the Minister that lower speed limits are not the right solution for country roads,” said Mr Butler. 

The petition is available at Mr Butler’s website.