Read the press release from the Nelson Cycle Trails Trust, with good news about funding for the next section of the Great Taste Trail. So exciting: There is good news for people wanting to ride Tasman’s Great Taste Trail. The Tasman District Council has decided to retain funding for trail development in its 2014/2015 Annual Plan. The Draft Annual Plan attracted more than 80 submissions supporting the project. Mayor Richard Kempthorne said that as a result of the material presented to the TDC, it has committed $300,000 funding for the next 12 months. The money will be used to construct the next phase of development from Wakefield through to Spooners Tunnel. However, the Mayor said that funding is conditional on an equal contribution from other partners. In making the announcement, Mayor Kempthorne said that he can see huge benefits to the region from a tourism and community perspective. He is particularly excited about getting New Zealand’s longest disused railway tunnel open to cyclists. This will be a significant attraction for visitors from New Zealand and overseas. Nelson Tasman Cycle Trust Chair Gillian Wratt said that the funding decision is welcome news and provides much needed support for the Trust as it seeks to raise funds to construct the remaining 67km of Trail. Ms Wratt says that “nearly two-thirds of the Trail is already built and the challenge now is to get it completed. This involves an extension via Tapawera, Woodstock and Motueka. This will cost around $2.3 million over the next three to five years”. “The project risks stalling without further support from other funding agencies. We are actively exploring options of funding from the New Zealand Cycle Trust, the Canterbury Community Trust and the Lotteries Commission. There is also a fantastic opportunity for a local company to contribute money or in-kind services to Trail construction.” The 108km of Trail already built between Nelson and Wakefield, and Nelson and Kaiteriteri, has been very popular with the local community and visitors. Electronic counters on the trail tallied more than 28,000 passes on the Waimea Inlet section over six months from December 2013, of which about 80% were cyclists. Local MP Dr Nick Smith supports the proposal. “The Trail will be a great asset for the region and the model that has been used to build it shows a real partnership approach. Funding to date has been from NZCT ($2.1 million), TDC ($1.7 million) and the balance from the community. It would be great if a local company or individual could step up and contribute to the next stage,” he said. Tasman’s Great Taste Trail is approved as a New Zealand Great Ride. When applications for cycle trails were considered for funding by central government, the local Trail was one of the top five proposals put forward. The region’s existing tourism infrastructure and proximity to urban amenities and the airport means that the Trail should at least equal economic benefit already experienced in other regions. The Otago Rail Trail brings over $12 million per annum to the region. Tasman’s Great Taste Trail is a loop track which makes it appealing and this, along with other local cycling options like Dun Mountain and Kaiteriteri Mountain Bike Park, is expected to make Nelson-Tasman a premier cycle tourism destination.
Posted on: Thu, 03 Jul 2014 22:20:27 +0000
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