A controversial federal proposal to reduce default speed limits on unmarked country roads from 100 kilometres per hour to as low as 70 kilometres per hour has been scrapped following overwhelming opposition from regional communities.

Member for Barwon Roy Butler, who launched a petition against the proposal, met with Federal Minister for Regional Development Kristy McBain to discuss the impact the speed limit reduction would have had on country road users.

The proposal, which stemmed from a 2018 road safety agenda and was formally consulted on in late 2024, was abandoned on Friday, November 21 following a meeting of infrastructure and transport ministers. Federal Transport Minister Catherine King confirmed that no further work would proceed on the plan.

Roy Butler's petition attracted nearly 3,000 signatures in just two weeks, demonstrating the strength of feeling in regional communities. The petition was part of a broader wave of opposition that saw more than 11,000 individual submissions made to the Department of Infrastructure rejecting the proposal.

Butler had stood up in Parliament to oppose what he described as a nanny-state idea, arguing the change would have meant longer trips, less time for family and work, and increased isolation for country people.

The proposal would have affected unsigned roads outside built-up areas, many of which are unsealed or poorly maintained rural roads. While road safety experts argued the lower speeds would save lives, critics including the National Farmers' Federation, the Country Mayors Association of NSW, and thousands of regional residents slammed the idea as a lazy substitute for proper investment in regional road maintenance.

Member for Parkes Jamie Chaffey said the decision to drop the plan was an admission the government had failed to deal with the real issue of fixing the roads. He described cutting speed limits as a lazy substitute for real road investment, arguing that road safety would not improve until the government invested in the roads themselves by fixing them and filling potholes.

Country Mayors Association Chairman and Temora Shire Mayor Rick Firman described the proposed 30 kilometres per hour reduction as beyond excessive and warned it could undermine confidence in the legitimacy of road safety policy.

Butler thanked everyone who signed the petition and acknowledged NSW Minister for Roads and Regional Transport Jenny Aitchison for listening to country voices and helping stop the damaging proposal, demonstrating that when country people stand together, they can make a difference.

The road toll remains a serious concern, with 1,294 deaths recorded on Australian roads in 2024, representing a 10 per cent increase in fatalities between 2020 and 2024. More than 65 per cent of deaths over the last decade have occurred outside major cities, with 85 per cent of those on roads with speed limits at or above 80 kilometres per hour.