Taranaki Regional Council media release
3 August 2009
For immediate release

Region Eyes Cycleway Fund

Moves are afoot in Taranaki to secure a share of Prime Minister John Key’s $50 million cycleway fund.

A range of agencies have formed a group to explore how the region may benefit from the scheme, announced at the Government’s Jobs Summit earlier this year. The group includes representatives of Venture Taranaki, the region’s four Councils, Sport Taranaki, cycling advocates, the Department of Conservation and the New Zealand Transport Agency.

“While the full criteria won’t be announced until September, the Ministry of Tourism has already approved seven ‘Quick Start’ projects elsewhere in the country, and indicated the factors that led to approval,” says the Taranaki Regional Council’s Director-Operations, Rob Phillips.

“We’ll be looking closely at those factors. A total of $9 million has already been allocated to the seven projects already approved, so there is still $41 million in the pot.”

The Ministry’s factors included:

• Social and economic impact, particularly the creation of new jobs in areas where they’re needed.
• The ability to draw upon existing tourist traffic and use existing tourism infrastructure.
• Whether the finished cycleway will be suitable for general users or only for experienced off-road riders.
• Whether trail users will be required to stay more than a day.
• Whether the trail can be built on existing infrastructure such as a stop bank or railway embankment, or a little-used flat country road.
• Whether there are any engineering or legal obstacles.

The Taranaki group has started work on identifying possible cycleway projects that may qualify for funding and will work on proposals over the next few months.

ENDS