Ra¯ta¯ pitches in to help tell the cycle trail story
The proposed cycle trail down the east coast from Picton to Kaiko¯ura is still on the Government’s agenda, a spokesperson has confirmed.
The project has also had a major boost, with the Ra¯ta¯ Foundation, a key supporter, releasing a video designed to encourage other funders to come on board.
Prior to the election in September the trail had received widespread support, with former deputy prime minister and tourism minister Paula Bennett as well as former transport minister Simon Bridges backing the project.
However, with the change in government it was unclear where the trail sat; the proposal was not mentioned in official briefings to incoming ministers.
While officials from the tourism ministry would not comment on the project this week, a spokesman for Associate Transport Minister Julie Anne Genter said while the minister could not comment specifically on the coastal trail project, cycling trails were something the government was keen to back.
‘‘Cycling is a big priority for this Government and funding [for] cycle projects has been prioritised. As a funder we have the rare privilege to help communities tell their story and bring attention to their project,’’ the spokesman said.
Telling the story of the proposed cycleway is one of the key aims of a video released by the Ra¯ta¯ Foundation this week.
The foundation pledged $600,000 for the project and hoped the sixminute promotional piece would encourage more people to engage with the trail.
Ra¯ta¯ Foundation spokesperson Tanya Bethell said it gave a sense of what was experienced following the earthquake and build hope.
‘‘This video not only gives a sense of the exhaustion and devastation experienced by the residents of southern Marlborough and Kaiko¯ura of the past year, it speaks to hope and [is] looking to the future.
‘‘Some of the people interviewed in the video have seen a profound change in circumstances from the resultant State Highway 1 closure, the video not only supports the development of the coastal trail, it tells a personal story, one which needs to be told as it is now a part of our history,’’ Bethell said.
The trail would be a ‘‘gamechanger for the region’’ and provide economic benefit to regions affected by the Kaiko¯ura earthquake, Bethell said.
‘‘This is a significant and iconic project, covering much of the region impacted by the November earthquake and will be a particular economic boon to many of the smaller communities along the Kaiko¯ura coast ... who have been struggling to make ends meet,’’ Bethell said.
‘‘We are hoping by committing to this project, we’ll attract other funders from central and local government, along with corporate sponsors,’’ she said.
Marlborough Kaiko¯ura Trail Trust chairman Dr John Forrest said they had already started lobbying the new Government.
‘‘We are engaging in bringing the new Government up to speed to where the old government ministers were. They appear to have a significant and challenging 100-day agenda so it is a challenge to get some mind-space of people under pressure to do a lot of other things.
‘‘I’ve had a meeting with the MP for Te Tai Tonga Rino Tirikatene and our local MP Stuart Smith brokered that. But Rino, of course, is our other MP because he is all of the South Island in his capacity and he’s absolutely on board and wants to work with Stuart in coordinating whatever governmental or ministerial contacts we need,’’ Forrest said.
Forrest said in addition to the Ra¯ta¯ Foundation’s contribution, the trust had received further financial support, including a sixfigure grant from an organisation that did not want to be named.
‘‘The grant from the Ra¯ta¯ Foundation was a seed grant that gave us the opportunity to leverage significantly more money and the video shows two things, the economic hardship from the quake and the economic potential this trail can be.’’
The Ra¯ta¯ Foundation set up a one-off special fund of $1.1 million following the November 14 quake in response to the needs of the Hurunui, Kaiko¯ura and southern Marlborough regions. The foundation said grants of $500,000 from that fund had been allocated to support community groups with immediate recovery needs and the remaining $600,000 was given to the cycle trail project.
Ra¯ta¯ Foundation chief execu- tive Leighton Evans said the longterm vision of the proposed cycle trail appealed to them.
‘‘After Lotteries allocated that money, it made sense to us to look at other ways we could support the long-term recovery of quakeaffected regions.
‘‘We are really supportive of the vision for the trail, which will not only provide a fantastic recreational facility for local communities, but provides welcome economic stimulus to the many quake affected communities along the route,’’ Evans said.
In July, then transport minister Simon Bridges committed $231 million for improvements along State Highway 1 between Oaro and Clarence, including a separated cycleway between Okiwi Bay and Mangamaunu.