Trust funding boosts trail plans

THE proposed start date for construction of Central Otago’s next cycle trail has been delayed until next year but confirmation of more pledged funding for the project is ‘‘great news’’, Central Otago Queenstown Trail Network chairman Stephen Jeffery says.

A $1.8 million grant from the Otago Community Trust (OCT) for the network was announced yesterday.

It will go towards the $26 million project, which will build 536km of trails connecting Cromwell to Clyde and the Otago Central Rail Trail, to Queenstown via the Kawarau Gorge Trail, and to Wanaka on a new trail.

Mr Jeffery said the $1.8 millon grant was part of $2 million pledged by the OCT for the trails project when it was announced two years ago.

In addition to the OCT funding, the project will receive $13 million of government funding and $11 million from the Central Lakes Trust.

The first part of the project would be the trail through the Cromwell Gorge, for which Otago Regional Council consents were in place and an application for Central Otago District Council (CODC) consents had been made, Mr Jeffery said.

Other OCT grants announced in its $2,118,689 September round of funding were $50,000 to the Waikouaiti District Museum Society for its new museum; $20,000 to Stage South Charitable Trust to support a ‘‘Farewell to the Fortune Theatre’’ gala event; $30,000 to the Royal New Zealand Pipe Band Association’s Otago centre, to assist with hosting the 2019 National Pipe Band Championship in Dunedin; $24,000 to the Milton Community Health Trust supporting community services; $20,000 to Kaitangata Black Gold BMX Club to assist with new safety BMX start gates; and $10,000 to the Acts of Kindness Charitable Trust.