A formal agreement which will secure $2.75 million in
Government money for the Alps to Ocean cycleway has been
approved by the Waitaki District Council.
The agreement will be signed by the council, Government
representatives, the Mackenzie District Council and Mackenzie
Tourism and Development Trust in Twizel on September 17.
The cycleway traverses 312km from Aoraki/Mt Cook, through
Twizel and Ohau then down the Waitaki and Waiareka Valleys to
Weston and Oamaru. It could attract more than 40,000 visitors
a year.
Yesterday, the Waitaki council called a special meeting to
discuss the funding agreement.
Its corporate services manager, Stephen Halliwell, said the
agreement would cement the partnership for the development of
the cycleway, which would be overseen by the Mackenzie trust,
including employing a project manager and monitoring
expenditure.
The agreement imposed accountability requirements on the
trust and each council.
Cr Struan Munro said the benefits from the trail,
particularly for the Waitaki Valley, would be enormous, but
Cr Alistair Mavor sounded a note of caution about the ongoing
cost to ratepayers, which he hoped would not detract from
other advantages.
Mr Halliwell said the council had already agreed to make a
contribution towards the cycleway from Weston to Oamaru,
which had been included in its Long Term Council Community
Plan and subject to public consultation.
The project has been promoted by an establishment committee
representing the community and two councils.
However, Mr Halliwell said a governance structure would be
set up to operate and maintain the cycleway and the structure
of that should go to the two councils about the middle of
next year.
Chief executive Michael Ross said representatives of local
authorities and organisations involved in five cycleways in
the southern South Island would meet next week.
• The New Zealand Cycle Trail project will sign its contract
for the new Clutha Gold Trail (Roxburgh to Beaumont section)
at the Roxburgh Service Centre at 2pm today.
The funding agreement will be signed by New Zealand Cycle
Trail programme manager John Dunn and Clutha Gold Trail
Charitable Trust chairman Rod Peirce.
Mayors Juno Hayes and Malcolm Macpherson will also attend.
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