Funding approved for eight more cycle trails

Tuesday 6 July 2010

Funding has been confirmed ahead of schedule for the construction of eight new cycle trails under Nga Haerenga, The New Zealand Cycle Trail (NZCT) project.

The government has confirmed $18.85 million for the construction of the eight trails. These trails, together with five trails already approved, are expected to provide 1,700km of trail once completed .

The funding approvals follow the evaluation of 13 phase two trail feasibility studies submitted to the Ministry of Tourism in May. Of the 13, eight have now had their funding approved, four are still under review and funding for one trail has been declined.

John Dunn, Programme Manager said investment in the eight new trails will bring huge benefits to the communities involved. The new trails will be included in a series of “Great Rides” that will take cyclists through some of New Zealand’s most iconic and picturesque country.

“I would like to congratulate the applicants on the enormous effort that has gone into completing the feasibility studies. This effort has enabled funding for these trails to be confirmed four months ahead of schedule and made it possible for construction to begin as soon as possible,” Mr Dunn said.

For two trails, in the Hawke’s Bay and the Clutha District, only specific sections of the trails have been approved for funding at this stage. Further work is still required on the land access for the remaining sections before funding can be confirmed.

The eight new trails that will be provided from the New Zealand Cycle Trail Fund are:

“Co-funding for the eight trails of $16 million also demonstrates the significant commitment of the communities involved,” Mr Dunn said.

Further work is continuing on four other trails including the Thermal by Bike trail (Rotorua), the Ruapehu to Whanganui trail, Old Ghost Road trail (West Coast) and the Roxburgh Gorge trail (Alexandra). Issues have been identified in the feasibility studies for these trails which need to be resolved before funding can be committed to their construction. The Ministry of Tourism is working with applicants with the aim of having decisions on these trails by the end of October.

One trail, the Tauranga Moana trail, has been declined for funding. The trail does have the potential to offer a world-class cycling experience, but the Ministry considered that the land access and cost issues identified in the trail’s feasibility study would unfortunately not be resolved within a timeframe suitable for the New Zealand Cycle Trail project.

“It’s vital that we fully investigate the trails before we put them forward for construction. It is important we invest in feasible projects to ensure that the funding is spent wisely, the right product is delivered, and the benefits of the trails flow through to communities,” Mr Dunn said.

2. How many trails have had their funding approved so far?

Thirteen trails have now had their funding confirmed under the New Zealand Cycle Trail project. Eight trails had their funding confirmed today and five trails have already previously had their funding confirmed. This means 80% of the New Zealand Cycle Trail funding has now been committed.

3. Why have you only part-funded two of the eight trails at this stage?

Only sections of the Heretaunga Ararau trail in Hawke’s Bay and the Clutha Gold trail have been given the green light at this stage. This is so that construction can begin on the parts of the trail that have been confirmed as being definitely feasible as soon as possible. The remainder of each trail needs further investigation to confirm their feasibility. However, in both cases, the Ministry is confident that should the other part of the trail not prove feasible, the part that is funded now will still be a Great Ride in itself.

4. Why have you chosen these eight trails?

These trails have gone through an extensive assessment exercise and it’s believed that these trails will showcase the best New Zealand has to offer, including showcasing iconic landscapes, connecting communities, providing cultural experiences and providing sustainable jobs. These trails have proven they are feasible now and meet The New Zealand Cycle Trail criteria.

5. Why haven’t all of the Phase Two trails had their funding approved today?

The eight trails which had their funding approved clearly met The New Zealand Cycle Trail criteria. There are four trails which require further investigative work before funding can be committed for construction. These trails are: The Thermal by Bike trail (Rotorua), Ruapehu to Whanganui trail, Old Ghost Road trail (West Coast) and the Roxburgh Gorge trail (Alexandra). Our goal is for these trails to also be progressed; however there are important issues to work through. Issues include land access, and the need for further engineering assessments. It is important we invest in feasible projects to ensure that the funding is spent wisely, and the benefits of the trails flow through to communities. The Ministry is aiming to have decisions on these trails by the end of October.

6. Why has the Tauranga Moana project been declined?

The Tauranga Moana trail has the potential to be a great product but unfortunately, there is currently too much uncertainty for it to be considered feasible at this stage. There is particular concern about land access uncertainty over a large part of the trail. Unfortunately, the parts that were more certain were at either end of the trail and were not long enough to be considered “Great Rides” in themselves. This meant they didn’t meet the feasibility requirements. It is important that funding is applied where we are confident that the product will be delivered.

7. When will construction start?

Construction of the eight trails announced today is expected to be underway this summer. We expect to have made decisions about funding on the remainder of the trails by the end of October.

8. When will the first trails be completed?

The St James trails in Hamner Springs is well underway and is due to be completed this summer. Several sections of other trails have also been completed including a substantial section of the Waikato River trail and a section of the Whanganui- Ruapehu, which was launched by the Prime Minister last week.

ENDS

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