Media Release

27 February 2014

Mountain Bike Park to Go Ahead in CHB

Hawke’s Bay Regional Council has approved the development of a new mountain bike park in Central Hawke’s Bay, using land originally purchased by HBRC for use as a wastewater disposal forestry block.

HBRC staff have been working with the Central Hawke’s Bay Rotary Pathways Charitable Trust since mid-2013 planning the routes for two pathways covering some of HBRC’s river berm and stopbanks in the area. Construction is due to start after Easter.

Under the current Annual Plan, HBRC committed to provide up to $100,000 of funding for the development of new cycleways around Waipukurau and Waipawa. At the same time, the Trust has proposed to develop the forestry block of HBRC land near Tukituki River as a mountain bike park.

HBRC purchased the bare land in 2012 with the intent of using it as a wastewater disposal field to assist Central Hawkes’ Bay District Council with the upgrade of their sewage plant. However, CHB District Council adopted a floating-wetland treatment model, reducing the original multi-purpose land to that of a mixed forest investment.

HBRC Councillors have approved the mountain bike park initiative, subject to lease conditions. HBRC will not charge the Pathways Trust to use the land as a community facility but the Trust will be responsible for constructing tracks in the block, taking into account stormwater management and other factors. They will need to maintain and repair any assets they create, including meeting conditions for the use of the land for forestry. The Trust will allow public access to the mountain bike track network but may charge a fee to cover maintenance costs.

The Trust is aware that the repurposed land use will be reviewed if, in the future, the site is needed for wastewater disposal. In the interim, the site looks likely to gain a new lease of life for kids of all ages.

ENDS

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