Project Trail to continue despite the cuts – Otago Daily Times

Although the bigger part of its funding from the municipal council budget project has been removed, the DuneDin cycling project is pedaling, says its new chairman.

The Dunedin City Council removed $ 22.4 million for the Tunnel Trails Dunedin Trains project of its nine-year project earlier this year.

Mayor Jules Radic said the abbreviation is part of $ 272 million in cost savings over the next nine years to reduce pressure on tariffs.

New Dunedin Tunnels Trail Trust Chairman Brent Irving said he was not refusing and examined more funding opportunities, going through the initial stages of the project.

When G -Erving joined the Tunnel Trails Trust about 10 years ago, he did not think it would be so difficult to build a 14 -kilometer path from Gladstone Rd, in Mosgiel, to Caversham.

He said the project had experienced many fake funding starts, including a boost of $ 11 million from NZ WAKA KOTAHI (NZTA) transport agency, which was withdrawn after the government changed.

“It was a real challenge to get momentum.

“You get a road block and it doesn’t only keep you a week or a month. It can hold you from six months to a year.”

Mr. Irving said the project had about $ 1.8 million from the Council of the Council from the rest of the financial year 2024-25, which will be used to progress the first stage of the construction.

The advice and trust worked together to create what this first stage would look like.

However, the focus of trust was on the opening of the path and the passage beyond the first stage.

To this end, trust examined other options available to them for funding.

“I’m not giving up.

“Trust will not stop progress because the advice has exhausted the money.”

Options include government funding, private enterprises or trust that make their own fundraising.

He said the Council would have less the word in the project if it did not finance it in the first stage.

“My opinion is if the DCC does not create additional funding, then it may turn out that the trust is more engaged than DCC forward.”

Mr Irving said the project would be aimed at the community, but would still require “capital injection” either by the central government or from the business to move forward without the Council.

He said the path should not cost nearly $ 28.5 million anywhere, as it was once calculated.

The advice and NZTA wanted a version of the Rolls Royce track, while the trust was after a well -built song that was safe and could handle bicycle and leg traffic.

Once opened, it can be upgraded with bells and whistles at another stage.

So far, the main purpose of confidence was to engage with landowners and to ensure that it has legal access and easements with their consent.

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