Landscape Cycle Trail Gets Nod For Next Stage

Hawke's Bay Regional Council is pleased that the proposal for a new cycle trail in Hawke's Bay has been given approval by the Ministry of Tourism to move to the feasibility stage.
The application was submitted by Hawkeâs Bay Regional Council and its business unit Venture Hawkeâs Bay with the support of Hawkeâs Bay MPs, local Councils, and community groups including the Rotary Pathways Trusts.
It identified three themed routes which include a wineries trail and a water trail along with the landscapes trail which is the trail selected to go to the feasibility study stage. The title used in the proposal is 'Heretaunga Ararau: Land of a Hundred Pathways' to reflect that the Heretaunga Plains are known in Mâori lore as the land of a hundred pathways.
The proposed âLandscape�? cycle route is one of 13 cycle trails around the country which have been successful in being considered for an allocation of the Prime Ministerâs $50 million fund for a national cycle network. There were 54 applications in total. The new trail is proposed to go through the Tukituki Valley and out to Te Awanga and Haumoana, and integrate with existing pathways.
âItâs gratifying to get through to the feasibility stage, and it was an advantage to have a well-used and highly regarded pathway network that we are able to link in to and expand on,�? said Regional Councillor Neil Kirton, who chairs the Venture Hawkeâs Bay Board.
There is, however, still a considerable process to go through before a final proposal is successful. Council staff are now starting the feasibility study which needs to be submitted to the Ministry of Tourism by 31st May.
The immediate benefit from the construction of the trail will be boosting youth employment. It will also have clear advantages for local sport and recreation, and add another excellent tourism product to Hawkeâs Bay.
âHawkeâs Bay is already seen as a high class visitor destination and the addition of this trail would add another great product for cycling tourists to enjoy,�? added Councillor Kirton.
The Councillor says that Venture Hawkeâs Bay estimates that people who visit Hawkeâs Bay and use the existing cycleways account for around 43,000 visitor nights a year. âThe new route is expected to double that, and could add around $16 million to the local economy.�?
Councillor Liz Remmerswaal, the Councilâs representative on the Hastings Pathways Trust, applauds the announcement. âIt is exciting to get the green light on the project and it reflects well on the hard work that many people have done over a long time.�?
The Regional Council has agreed in principle to part financially support the proposed expanded cycleway from its fund for projects of regional significance, using Council investment funds.
The feasibility study stage will be funded $40,000 from the Ministry of Tourism and $10,000 from the Regional Council.
A map of the proposed trails around New Zealand that have gone to the feasibility stage can be found at

http://www.tourism.govt.nz/Our-Work/New-Zealand-Cycle-Trail-Project