Queen Charlotte Track Receives Substantial Funding Boost

The future of one of Marlborough tourism’s ‘jewels in the crown’ is assured today with the announcement of a significant capital injection.

Queen Charlotte Track Incorporated, the marketing organisation for the Queen Charlotte Track, has been successful in its application to the ‘Managing the Quality of the Great Rides Fund’ (MGR), administered by the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment and a legacy project of outgoing Prime Minister, the Hon. John Key.

The Ministry has awarded $255,000 excluding GST of funding to the volunteer-based organisation to work with the Department of Conservation to reroute 6.4km of the Queen Charlotte Track between Ship Cove and Schoolhouse Bay campsite. The funds will also be used for trail enhancements in the vicinity of The Pines residential area in Endeavour Inlet to help reduce the speed of cyclists.

The Government funding will be matched by funding of $290,000 pledged by the Marlborough District Council as part of the recent 2016 Annual Plan process on the proviso the application to the MGR was successful.

Queen Charlotte Track Inc chairman Rob Burn said the total funding – to the value of $600,000 - was the single biggest capital injection for the track since its inception in the early 1990s. “This funding will assure a bright future for the Queen Charlotte Track in an ever competitive walking and cycling marketplace,” he said. “It will also go a long way to addressing and allaying concerns some residents in the area have about the cycles being on the track.”

QCT Inc’s target market is the Grade 3 cyclist who has experienced the Grade 1-2 cycle trails and is now looking to extend themself to a Grade 3 ride. This will include the baby boomer 55+ market, families and couples. “At the moment around 20% of track users are cyclists and the majority are advanced riders able to cope with the challenge. We want to broaden this market to include the Grade 3 cyclist and this in turn will also benefit walkers,” says Rob.

Department of Conservation have supported the group’s application and in their Queen Charlotte Track Operational Plan 2011 seeks to bring the Track up to Grade 3 cycle trail/Easy Tramping Track standard. The Ship Cove Historic Reserve to Schoolhouse Bay section of track via Ship Cove Saddle is considered well below this standard.

Ship Cove is well known as one of New Zealand’s iconic historic sites and the high standard of facilities there is in direct conflict to the track standard out of Ship Cove which is steep, eroded and the clay surface glazed and slippery.

“The plan is to have this work underway as soon as possible to be completed, including regrowth and regeneration, well before the Captain Cook 250 celebrations commencing in 2019 when the eyes of the world will be on Ship Cove,” said Rob.

Sounds councillor Trevor Hook says the funding is fantastic news for the track and for the wider region.

The BikeWalk Marlborough Trust has a 10-year vision for cycling trails in Marlborough which Mr Hook says has the potential to lift the region’s profile as a destination for cycling tourism.

Queen Charlotte Track Inc should be congratulated for putting in so much work preparing the case for this funding as the first stage of fulfilling that strategy, he said.

“The full strategy will take in the whole district from the Link Pathway though to the east coast and it’s great to see the government quickly recognising its potential and agreeing to financially support this upgrade.”

Mr Hook said tourism statistics indicate that cycling tourists tend to be bigger spenders than the typical visitor and there is a significant high-value segment in the international cycling tourist market.

“We think Marlborough has much to offer the recreational cyclists and the adventure sport mountain bikers and, with the upgrading this funding will help to deliver, we will be able to present an even better story of Marlborough as a cycling destination.”

ends

© Scoop Media