Great Rides, which is a collective of trails considered the country’s premier trails, deliver an economic boost of $1.28 billion to regional New Zealand, Upston said.
The trails, number of stations and amount funded in the latest round are:
Whakarewarewa Forest Loop, Rotorua, 12 stations, $720,000 Great Lake Trail, Taupō, one station, $60,000Little River Rail Trail, Canterbury, three stations, $180,000Hauraki Rail Trail, Waikato, 14 stations, $840,000Great Taste Trail, Nelson Tasman, 12 stations, $720,000
“We’re proud to support further investment in our cycle network and are pleased to see more trails taking up the opportunity for Government funding,” Upston said.
The total funding available for the Electrifying the Great Rides Fund is $3m from the International Visitor Conservation and Tourism Levy and applicants must co-fund at least 50% of each charging site.
Mountain Bike Rotorua director Tak Mutu. Photo / NZME
Mountain Bike Rotorua director Tak Mutu said they appreciated the Government and local council recognising the value of Whakarewarewa Forest, its trails and the infrastructure that supports them.
“Whakarewarewa Forest is an absolute asset for Rotorua, both as a much-loved recreational space for locals and as one of the single biggest contributors to our city’s economy.
“You only have to see the stream of cars arriving in Rotorua every weekend with bikes on the back to understand how much value the bike park brings to our city. That value flows through to accommodation, hospitality, tourism operators, retailers, events and the wider Rotorua community.”
He said Rotorua had been fortunate to have had successive councils, government support, community effort and significant private investment in the forest over many years.
“This continued investment is not only recognition that the Whakarewarewa and Titokorangi Forests are valued assets for our city but also there is still significant room to grow the recreational, environmental, economic and community value of the forest.”