The charitable trust behind the Roxburgh Gorge cycle trail is
looking for new trustees.
The Roxburgh Gorge Trail Charitable Trust, responsible for
governance of the proposed cycle trail between Alexandra and
the Roxburgh dam, has advertised for people with a range of
skills, including, but not limited to, the areas of
marketing, outdoor recreation, the law, accounting, farming,
local leadership and community relations.
There are four trustees - trust chairman Stephen Jeffery,
former Central Otago mayor Malcolm Macpherson, Vincent
Community Board chairwoman Clair Higginson and Vincent
Community Board member Barrie Wills.
The trust is looking for at least two other people to join,
Mr Jeffery said.
"We've moved along as much as we could, but it's now time to
get the rest of the trustees there for the long haul."
Mr Jeffery was confident people with the right expertise
would come forward to help.
"We had quite a few inquiries before Christmas but up till
now we haven't advertised.
"We just kept the core.
"Now we need a broader spectrum of talent to take the trust
forward."
At least two of the trustees have to live within the
respective geographic areas of the Roxburgh Community Board
or the Vincent Community Board.
Of the present trustees, only Mr Jeffery is from Roxburgh, so
at least one of the new trustees must be from that area.
Negotiation of easements with 11 private landowners, the
Department of Conservation, Land Information New Zealand and
Contact were continuing, Mr Jeffery said.
"We've had meetings with landowners to get opinions on the
best way forward.
"We're in the process of going through an exchange of values.
It's about what people's expectations are and what options we
have to meet those required values."
The 34km-long Roxburgh Gorge Trail will be built on the State
Highway 8 side of Lake Roxburgh.
It has been given $2 million of government funding under Nga
Haerenga, the New Zealand Cycle Trail project.
The trail is expected to cost $3.3 million, with the trust to
find the rest of the money. Work on that process had begun,
Mr Jeffery said.
Registrations of interest from potential trustees close on
May 6.
colin.williscroft@odt.co.nz
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