'What’s allowed is different now': Tracks renamed after contention

The view looking towards St Clair from the top of Signal Hill. PHOTO: CLARE FRASER

The tracks have not become any safer, but their names have.

Mountain Biking Otago president Kristy Booth has confirmed Plus 1, Double-Glazed and Orange Rough would replace three Signal Hill track names deemed inappropriate by the Dunedin City Council in June.

The new names, which replace former names The Ginger Cougar, The Mrs and The Mistress, had been approved by the council, she said

"They’re pretty simple," she said.

"We’ve been through all the other tracks.

"There’s nothing else there that has been identified as a problem.

"We’re all good to go."

New signs were at the printers and would be installed by the group, possibly as early as this spring.

The tracks whose names had been deemed inappropriate were about eight to 11 years old, and in the interim the "world changed", Mrs Booth said.

The names had been approved by the council at the time, she said.

"What’s allowed, what’s not allowed is different now."

At the time of the controversy over the tracks’ names, council parks and recreation group manager Robert West said the council was working with the group on "guidelines for the future naming of tracks".

A council spokesman said the council would respond to a request for comment today.

hamish.maclean@odt.co.nz