Proponents of the Roxburgh Gorge cycle trail are expecting to
receive a $2 million funding boost from the Government, which
yesterday gave the 34km venture the official thumbs up.
The trail, which will be built on the State Highway 8 side of
Lake Roxburgh, between Alexandra and Roxburgh, was one of
five tracks given a total of $13.9 million yesterday under
Nga Haerenga, the New Zealand Cycle Trail project.
How much was granted for the
Roxburgh trail was not available to the Central Otago
District Council, the driving force behind the trail, last
night. Council business development manager Jonathan Gadd
said the council had asked the Government to pay $2 million
of the track's $3.3 million construction cost.
"We haven't received that letter yet so we can't say for sure
what we're going to get or what conditions might be attached.
But that [$2 million] should be what we get. That's always
been the agreement," Mr Gadd said.
The Government's earlier financial support for only part of
the Clutha Gold trail, between Lake Roxburgh and Beaumont,
was not relevant to the Roxburgh Gorge trail, Mr Gadd said.
Funding for a second section of the Clutha Gold trail, from
Beaumont to Lawrence, is under review.
"With Roxburgh Gorge, it's either go or no go. You can't only
do part of it."
Where the other $1.3 million of the Roxburgh Gorge trail's
construction cost would come from had not been finalised, Mr
Gadd said.
"We're looking at a number of funding options ... can't
presuppose what they are at this stage."
However, before the Government approved its contribution to a
cycle trail, it required information on possible avenues of
additional funding be provided to it, Mr Gadd said.
"And having government funding gives a degree of comfort when
it comes to finding the rest of the money."
CODC community development manager Mathew Begg said a
resource consent hearing concerning structures such as
bridges, toilets and signs for the Roxburgh Gorge trail is
scheduled to be held in Alexandra on October 13.
A name, residential address, and (preferably residential) telephone number is required from readers who comment on ODT Online. These details will not be visible to site visitors.