Pedal power may boost trail funds

Bay of Plenty Community Trails Trust chairman Jan Booysen and member Kevin Kerr are calling on the Tauranga City Council to contribute its $500,000 portion to the Omokoroa to Otumoetai cycleway. Photo / John Borren

The Western Bay of Plenty could miss out on government funding for a cycleway linking Omokoroa to Otumoetai if the Tauranga City Council does not front up with its $500,000 portion, Transport Minister Simon Bridges says.

Keen local cyclists will take to the roads this weekend and "vote with their pedals" as they rally for the council to financially support the city leg of the cycleway from the Wairoa River to Otumoetai.

Mayor Stuart Crosby and Deputy Mayor Kelvin Clout have both encouraged the submitters and believe the council will take heed of the supporters. They say the previous voting outcome was a result of a lack of information about the project.

Rally for Tauranga cycleway:
- Sunday, May 3
- Start: 9am at Ferguson Park
- Cycle to The Strand
- Suitable for families with children over 8 (because of crowds)

Tauranga MP and Transport Minister Simon Bridges said if the council did not make its contribution, it could hinder the region's chances of receiving some of the Government's Urban Cycleways Fund.

"Without contribution from Tauranga City Council, the full benefits of the route may not be realised and it could raise the question of whether to invest any urban cycleways funds into the Omokoroa end of the link," he said.

"The Urban Cycleways Fund is designed so that - among other factors - the more financial backing local councils provide, the more central government funding they can leverage. Other things being equal, the more local councils front up with, the more they can expect."

Bay of Plenty Community Trails Trust chairman Jan Booysen and member Kevin Kerr said it would be a "lost opportunity" if the council did not contribute its portion.

"If we lose this, we're not going to get it again," Mr Kerr said.

The pair would lead the rally of cyclists this weekend from Fergusson Park to The Strand, hoping the demonstration of local support would sway councillors' votes. Mr Booysen believed the cycleway would bring more people to Tauranga for weekends or holidays, where they would contribute to the local economy through accommodation, food and retail spending.

"Every weekend there's families leaving Tauranga who go to ride cycle trails that are safe for their kids. They go for the day, stop for lunch, spend their money there."

Bay of Plenty MP Todd Muller thought the cycleway was "a great idea for the city" - for families, encouraging local exercise and attracting tourists to the region.

Local cyclist advocate Iris Thomas said she would be at the rally on Sunday and was expecting a good turnout, with "a huge surge of people out cycling" recently.

She could see the benefits for recreational cyclists and families looking for a safe place to ride with their children, and a great attraction for tourists.

Mr Clout said he had voted "yes" in the first proposal and would be speaking at the rally on Sunday to reiterate why he supported the proposal.

"If we didn't go ahead with it, it would be like a missing link," he said.

He believed the rally would have a positive outcome through the council, coupled with the fact they now had more extensive information on the the project.

Mr Crosby believed the council would reconsider the proposal in their deliberations now that more details had been supplied.

"When it came to us earlier this year, it had very little detail of where it would go, no business plans. We don't allocate half a million dollars to a line on a map," he said.

The council will hear public submissions to its 10-year plan from next week and deliberations will begin in June.

Mr Crosby said the funding for the cycleway would have to be weighed up against other budget demands and requests.