Speed Limits

The Department of Transport & Planning (DTP) are the responsible approval authority for all speed limits in Victoria.  Community requests for speed limit changes are prioritised then investigated by traffic engineers, against DTP’s Speed Zoning Technical Guidelines.  The Speed Zoning Technical Guidelines provide a framework for assessing speed limits to ensure consistent speed limit decisions across Victoria.  The guidelines take into account factors such as road function, features of the road, land uses adjacent to the road, crash risk, and the presence of vulnerable road users such as pedestrians and cyclists. 

Where a speed limit change is determined to be warranted, a speed limit change application is prepared and submitted to DTP for assessment. When a speed limit change is approved by DTP, it is prioritised for funding to implement the change.

Speed limit management

We have a strong commitment to eliminate severe road trauma, as demonstrated by the Council committing to becoming Victoria’s first ‘Towards Zero’ municipality in 2016 and the adoption of our Mornington Peninsula Towards Zero 2020-2025 Road Safety Strategy. Our current Mornington Peninsula Towards Zero 2020-2025 road safety strategy is currently being renewed.  The refresh will include updating with the latest crash data, analysis of road trauma trends over the past five years, ensure the strategy is aligned with updated best-practice road safety practices, and development of action plans.

Upon receiving approval from the Department of Transport and Planning (DTP) the following reductions in speed limit were implemented in 2024:

  • Bentons Road, Mount Martha between Moorhead Avenue and Century Drive (currently 70 kilometres per hour [km/h]). The assessment determined that the appropriate speed limit for this section of Bentons Road is 60 km/h.
  • Arthurs Seat Road, Red Hill between Whitehill Road and Shoreham Road. The assessment determined that the appropriate speed limit for this section of Arthurs Seat Road is 60 km/h.
  • Hotham Road, Sorrento and Portsea between Melbourne Road and Back Beach Road. The assessment determined that the appropriate speed limit for this section of Hotham Road is 60 km/h.
  • Browns Road, Rye between Dundas Street and Tasman Drive. The assessment determined that the appropriate speed limit for this section of Browns Road is 50 km/h.
  • Grant Road, Somerville between Eramosa Road East and the beginning of the 80 km/h section north of Speedwell Street. The assessment determined that the appropriate speed limit for this section of Grant Road is 50 km/h.
  • Rye and Tootgarook 40 km/h residential area Local Area Traffic Management.

  • St Pauls Road, Sorrento from 60 km/h to 50 km/h between Point Nepean Road and Melbourne Road. 

  • DTP introduced a safer speed limit of 60km/h on Boneo Road in both directions between Meakins Road and Two Bay Inland Track. See their article for further details Boneo Road - Safer Speed Limits.

We have also received approval from DTP for the following speed reductions which will be implemented in the coming months:

There is a number of possible speed limit changes that the Shire is currently investigating which are listed on the below register.

Speed limit register(PDF, 176KB)

Having safe and appropriate speed limits on our roads is an important aspect of road safety.  As such, the Shire is developing a comprehensive action plan to proactively identify safe and appropriate speed limits across all roads within the Mornington Peninsula.

Future speed limit change applications beyond those listed in the above speed limit register will be determined by the outcomes of the action plan.  Community feedback on the draft action plan will be sought later in 2025.

If you have any queries or feedback contact us at: trafficrequests@mornpen.vic.gov.au 

Rural roads

In rural Victoria, the default speed limit outside of built-up areas is 100 km/h. This default speed limit operates on rural roads where there are no other speed limit signs. Many of the Shire’s rural roads are now signed as 80km/h posted speed limits, which is a safer speed for these road conditions.

Built up areas

The default speed limit for Victoria’s roads in built-up areas is 50 km/h and applies on all roads in suburban areas where there are no speed limit signs displayed. Some of our residential areas have signed 40km/h speed limits. As high pedestrian and cyclist activity occurs in built-up areas, you should consider travelling at a speed well below the maximum speed limit.

School zones

School speed zones are reduced-speed limit 40km/h areas located around schools. They’re designed to keep kids safe by lowering the speed limit closest to the school. Some school speed zones only operate before and after school, while others are all the time.>/p>

Commercial activity areas

40 km/h speed limit zones now apply in many of the Shire’s busy commercial areas because of high level pedestrian activity and a crash history involving pedestrians. These limits are clearly marked with speed limit signage and advance warning signs.

To learn more, download our Speed Limits Fact File(PDF, 208KB) and take a look at our Road Safety Programs.

 

 

Last updated: March 2025

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