The wheels are again in motion to develop a cycle trail across Mid Canterbury.
The district council invited four track builders at the end of last year to submit quotes for investigating options on a circular route.
Compliance and development group manager Ian Hyde said he expected a report to come to the district council before the end of June.
It would have the quotes from the four track builders, and cover recommended routes, commercial opportunities, and the potential next steps.
Being undertaken by Christchurchbased consultants Xyst, the report would cost $35,260. The district council had $25,000 in its 2024/2025 budget, and the remainder would come out of existing budgets.
The district council intended to create a community group to oversee an overall masterplan.
Members would then create subgroups to be responsible for trail sections.
“Community members have already started organising themselves and the council will support them by helping join the different projects together.”
A key factor to be considered was there was no further funding budgeted in the Long Term Plan to progress the project past the options report.
“If additional money is needed, the request would come back to council for consideration,” Hyde said.
A cycle trail has previously been looked at by Braided Waters Cycle Trust. This followed then prime minister, John Key announcing a $50 million cycleway fund in 2009.
Ashburton missed out on the funding, but the project was still pursued as the trust was established and it was granted $80,000 by the district council in 2010 for track development.
The trust had planned for a 150km trail to go from Rakaia to the Highbank power station, to Methven via the Rangitata Diversion Race, then through Staveley to Mt Somers and back down the North Branch of the Ashburton River stopbank to Lake Hood. It would be a series of day trips between townships.
However, work on trail development ground to a halt following the Canterbury earthquakes.
It was the catalyst for the Ashburton River and Lake Hood trails, tracks either side of the Ashburton/Hakatere River, being developed.
The trust wound up in 2021 and gifted the remaining $102,443 in its accounts to the district council to distribute in a grant fund for bike trails in the district.
The trust’s project files on developing a trail are in the district council’s possession and will be utilised in the process, Hyde said.
