The Government has agreed to spend $4 million on the first stage of the Around the Mountain Cycle Trail and Southland District Council will discuss this agreement at its meeting on Wednesday June 30.
Venture Southland group manager community development and events Rex Capil said the Ministry of Tourism's funding committee has recommended that Council be approved to partner with funding to construct stage one of the cycle trail.
"That has been accepted by the Minister of Tourism and so if Council agrees, a maximum total of $4 million plus GST will be given from Government towards the construction of stage one – from Walter Peak to Mossburn," Mr Capil said.
"Funding investigations to secure funding to complete the Trail from Mossburn to Garston to Kingston are ongoing and will become a priority over the next 12-18 months. Preliminary discussions have been held with the Community Trust of Southland and the Lottery Grants Board and the opportunity exists for local service group engagement and project assistance. It is estimated the capital funding balance required to complete the trail required is $4 million," he said.
The Around the Mountain Cycle Trail must be branded as forming part of the Nga Haerenga, New Zealand Cycle Trail as one of the conditions for the Government funding.
"There has been considerable regional resource - human and financial - in developing this project to this stage. The opportunity now exists to advance the project from the concept development stage to construction and operational," Mr Capil said.
Once the agreement is signed, there is still a considerable amount of planning and preparatory work to be undertaken prior to construction, which is aimed to begin in late 2010.
It is anticipated the Around the Mountain Cycle Trail Stage One from Walter Peak to Mossburn will be open for the 2011-2012 visitor season and will be in a position to be actively promoted at TRENZ in Queenstown in May 2011.
