The enjoyment and safety of the community in Hastings District Council’s parks and reserves is a top priority, and some changes are being made at Tainui Reserve to encourage people to use it safely.

The Reserve Management Plan for this reserve, which was adopted in 2015, allowed for the construction of a separate mountain bike track that was partially built earlier this year. Since that time there has been an increase in users of different ages and abilities who are enjoying the reserve in different ways.

This has, however, also resulted in some conflict between users and the council is implementing a number of short to medium-term measures to address this increased use.

These include considering preparing a new Reserve Management Plan for Tainui Reserve to enable the views of all user groups to be heard before any further work is undertaken.

There will be no new mountain bike tracks built in Tainui Reserve until a new Reserve Management Plan is prepared, and any possible new tracks will be dependent on the outcome of this process.

Council will continue to work on the upgrade of the existing pathways, as budget allows, with the timing of this work dependent on weather.

Council has installed information boards at all entrances to the reserve to clearly map the intended use of the tracks.

They also identify New Zealand’s Mountain Biking Code of Conduct that outlines the expected behaviours for mountain bikers towards other bikers, users and the environment.

Further signs indicate walking, mountain biking and shared tracks, and have been placed at key points identifying the appropriate use of each track.

The council is working with the Mountain Bike Clubs to encourage them to discuss responsible park use and etiquette with younger mountain bike riders.

In addition, some alterations have been made to slow mountain bike riders down as they exit the mountain bike track and approach the shared track.

This much-loved reserve, like all our parks and reserves in the district, is available to the whole community to be enjoyed in a safe and respectful manner.

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