"Maybe there could be a commercial element to help meet the costs, but the benefits would go far beyond encouraging people to get some exercise in the fresh air rather than taking the car wherever wherever they want to go. A scheme like this could even serve as a precursor to apprenticeships.
"It would encourage employment opportunities, enhance people's health and well-being, offer training and access to pushbikes, utilise local resources and provide recreation with limited impact on the environment.
"The workshop, and forming and maintaining the trail, could provide meaningful work for high-risk youth, giving them the chance to show commitment and reliability, to gain industry skills, find career paths that excite them and build up a resume of skills and references that will aid their future job-seeking."
From a tourism perspective the project could add value to the Twin Cycle Trail from Horeke to Opua, offering a bigger package for riders looking to head further north.
"One of the questions faced by the i-Site in Kaitaia and other tourism operators is what is there to do in Kaitaia? A bike trail would be a great addition to their list, with hire bikes for all levels at an affordable price," Mr Jones said. "If we achieved a small percentage of the visitor upsurge that Rotorua is experiencing we would have a great outcome."
The immediate challenge was to engage the wider community, but Summit Forests had already provided the resources to get the trail started and to bring in the expertise needed to build the trail and maintain it.