Rail trail signs pact welcomed

Otago Central Rail Trail users will not be left without directions when it comes to finding their way to the nearest refreshments or to their accommodation, now that an agreement has been reached between business operators and the Department of Conservation (Doc).

Operators who had placed unapproved signs on the trail advertising their businesses were told to take them down by the department and business owners were outraged.

Rail Trail Operators president Neville Grubb, of Clyde company Trail Journeys, said the solution was probably "the best that could be come up with". He said operators had made it clear they did not want the trail littered with signs and Doc was "right on the money", but it was the manner of Doc's sign rule enforcement that had upset them.

Members of the Otago Rail Trail operators group met last week after some discussion between the aggrieved parties and a compromise had now been reached.

"We're trying to create a unified approach as opposed to them [Doc] and us," Mr Grubb said.

Proposed guidelines and standards for rail trail signage had been introduced and they provided for three different types of authorised signs. Information signs with internationally recognised symbols would be the only ones allowed on the actual trail and they would direct travellers to other signs away from the trail.

Businesses would be able to display their information on the off-trail signs.

Community information signs would be limited to Alexandra, Omakau, Oturehua, Lauder, Wedderburn, Ranfurly and Waipiata - the sites of the old railway stations.

Information signs on the trail would not require resource consent but community signs and remote signs which would be permitted on the trail if a business was more than 5km from a community sign would require consent.

Mr Grubb said there was still work to be done on the placement ofthe signs and he had been outriding the trail investigating and photographing likely locations.