Two further stages are then planned and, once complete, the cycle and walking trail will span 15km from Mosgiel to Dunedin. It will traverse various tunnels, including two historic railway tunnels.
Upston and other members of the community, including Dunedin Tunnels Trail Trust trustees, met on part of the trail on Friday to celebrate the funding.
Ingrid Leary’s Facebook post has been deleted. Photo / Facebook
In a Facebook post on Monday, Leary wrote it was “pretty rude of this government not to invite me as the local MP as a way of National trying to take the credit for something that [Trust chair] Brent Irving and locals have worked so hard for!”
However, emails seen by the Herald appear to show Leary’s office responding to information about the event, saying she couldn’t attend.
An email sent by one of the organisers from the trust last Tuesday said the event was being rescheduled from Thursday to Friday afternoon, and asked recipients to respond if they could attend.
An adviser for Leary replied on Thursday evening, saying Leary “unfortunately will not be able to attend” and wished best of luck for the event.
Leary told the Herald on Tuesday that she had been “invited by the cycleway organisers but not by the Government, which is the usual protocol”.
She said ministers “normally invite local MPs” to major announcements.
She was “very grateful to get an invitation from the local organisers”.
After the Facebook post was deleted, Leary told the Herald: “It’s usual for Ministers to invite all local MPs for major announcements in their electorate and it was unusual in this case for that not to happen”.
“Nevertheless, I am sensitive to keep this hard-won success for our local community and the Trust celebratory, and therefore chose to take it down.”
Upston said it was a “great announcement for Dunedin and for an outstanding community group” and a “shame” that Leary and her office had declined the “official invitation”.
“As a local MP, Ingrid was invited in the usual way and I would have welcomed seeing her there.”
She said last week that the Government was proud to fund projects “that deliver real economic impact and can get under way immediately”.
“There’s a real sense of momentum building across our cycling network and tourism sector. It’s great to see rising visitor numbers and regional spending but there’s still more to do to get our tourism sector cranking.”
Jamie Ensor is a senior political reporter in the NZ Herald press gallery team based at Parliament. He was previously a TV reporter and digital producer in the Newshub press gallery office. He was a finalist this year for Political Journalist of the Year at the Voyager Media Awards.