National Cycleway Project
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The New Zealand Cycle Trail project (
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: ''Nga Haerenga'', "The Journeys") is a New Zealand government initiative, co-funded together with local councils and charitable trusts, which is to build and operate a network of cycle routes through the country. As of mid-2011, the first of the 18 proposed 'Great Rides' (dedicated cycleways, mostly off-road and in particularly scenic locations) were being finished, while construction was ongoing on most of the others. The first set of 'Touring Routes' (mostly on-road, to connect Great Rides), had also been announced. At the end of 2013, with the initial $50 million (plus local co-funding) essentially all spent or allocated, about 19 routes were expected to be in operation. By 2016, when added funding was announced, the total route length was about .


History

Originally called the New Zealand Cycleway, and later the National Cycleway Project, it was initially conceived as a cycling route to run through the length of New Zealand, "from
Kaitaia Kaitaia ( mi, Kaitāia) is a town in the Far North District of New Zealand, at the base of the Aupouri Peninsula, about 160 km northwest of Whangārei. It is the last major settlement on New Zealand State Highway 1, State Highway 1. Ahipara ...
to
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". It was proposed by then Prime Minister
John Key Sir John Phillip Key (born 9 August 1961) is a New Zealand retired politician who served as the 38th Prime Minister of New Zealand from 2008 to 2016 and as Leader of the New Zealand National Party from 2006 to 2016. After resigning from bo ...
as the 21st "surprise" item of the national Job Summit held by the New Zealand Government in early 2009. John Key, who was also
Minister of Tourism The Minister of Tourism is the head of the governmental department that specializes in tourism, recreation and/or culture. The position exists in many different countries under several names: *Ministry of Tourism and Environment (Albania) * Minist ...
, noted that as of the middle of March 2009, officials were working "actively and aggressively" on a plan to implement the cycleway, though the original idea of a direct route was abandoned in favour of linking a network of existing paths and new sections, which Key termed 'Great Rides' in allusion to the
New Zealand Great Walks The New Zealand Great Walks are a set of popular tramping tracks developed and maintained by the Department of Conservation. They are New Zealand's premier tracks, through areas of some of the best scenery in the country, ranging from coastlin ...
system of famous tramping or hiking tracks. The individual routes are to be connected into a New Zealand-wide network in the long term. John Key noted that to retain momentum on the process, the first sections to be funded would be publicised by June 2009. This was slightly pushed out until July 2009, when the first seven projects were announced, to receive $9 million in funding. In November 2009, construction started on the Waikato River Trails, the first of the quick-start projects, which received $3 million in funding to construct 41 km of track and thereby finish a 100 km long cycle trail along the
Waikato River The Waikato River is the longest river in New Zealand, running for through the North Island. It rises on the eastern slopes of Mount Ruapehu, joining the Tongariro River system and flowing through Lake Taupō, New Zealand's largest lake. It th ...
. In the second stage of the project, it was announced in February 2010 that out of 54 applications (beyond the quick-start trails), 13 had been selected to receive funding (pending further feasibility studies). If all these trails and the quick-start trails were realised, they would provide over 2,000 km of trail. In September 2010, funding for another five tracks was confirmed, bringing the total up to 18. On 2 July 2010, Prime Minister John Key opened the first segment completed with cycle trail funding, being the 'Old Coach Road' segment of the Ruapehu to Whanganui Nga Ara Tuhono trail. By November 2010, eight trails were under construction, and the first full "Great Ride", the St James Trail located near
Hanmer Springs Hanmer Springs is a small town in the Canterbury region of the South Island of New Zealand. The Māori name for Hanmer Springs is Te Whakatakanga o te Ngārahu o te ahi a Tamatea, which means “where the ashes of Tamate’s (sic) fire lay ...
, opened in November 2010. In mid-2011, it was announced that
Sarah Ulmer Sarah Elizabeth Ulmer (born 14 March 1976) is a former Olympic cyclist. She is the first New Zealander to win an Olympic cycling gold medal, which she won in the 3km individual pursuit at the 2004 Athens Olympics setting a world record. Afte ...
would be the official 'ambassador' for the New Zealand Cycle Trail. In May 2011, a customer-focused website was launched for the trails. In January 2012, the most famous existing cycle route of the country, the
Otago Central Rail Trail The Otago Central Rail Trail is a 150-kilometre walking, cycling and horse riding track in the South Island of New Zealand. A pioneering project for New Zealand, the successful rail trail joined the New Zealand Cycle Trail umbrella organisation ...
, became a part of the Cycle Trail umbrella organisation. In February 2013, it was announced that with most project and funding-allocation work completed after 4 years, the number of permanent NZCT staff would be reduced from 7 to 3. In mid 2016, another $25 million of funding (plus associated local Council co-funding) was announced by government, with approximately $13m of the funding planned to pay for connecting four Great Rides cycle trails in Central Otago into a connected 536 km track network. The remainder of the funds would be open for local applications.


Characteristics


Project scope

The cycleway was originally proposed to be a continuous route with a concrete surface, and it was proposed that the
Department of Conservation An environmental ministry is a national or subnational government agency politically responsible for the environment and/or natural resources. Various other names are commonly used to identify such agencies, such as Ministry of the Environment ...
was to supervise the construction process. Cycling advocates noted that having the feasibility study undertaken by the Ministry of Tourism, rather than the Ministry of Transport, boded well for the future of the project. In the middle of March 2009, comments started to emerge from government indicating that the initial vision of a single track throughout the country would probably not be realised, at least not in the same form. Rather, it was now envisaged that a whole network of tracks would be created, combined from existing part sections, or upgraded from other forms of tracks and roads. The tracks would likely be to different standards in different areas, as some estimates have set the cost for the original proposal of a full track formed in concrete at least $300m rather than the $50m initially suggested. Setting out further specifics, in May 2009 it was confirmed that instead of a single route throughout New Zealand, the project would, at least initially, concentrate on a number of promising individual links. Substantial parts of these routes could use existing railway corridor reserves or possibly
paper road A paper street or paper road is a street or road that appears on maps but has not been built. Paper streets generally occur when city planners or subdivision developers lay out and dedicate streets that are never built. Commercial street maps ...
s, or existing cycle infrastructure, where present. They would also have the ability to run through conservation land where appropriate, and take into account existing tourist destinations, thus providing particularly interesting routes. Prime Minister John Key, in mid-2010, noted that he expected 2,000 km of cycleway to be completed by the end of 2011.


Intended benefits

The intention of the trail, apart from creating jobs in an economic downturn (both in construction and later in the tourism industry associated with it), is to provide local and international cycle tourists with a route to travel on. Cycle Action Auckland noted in an editorial that the
Otago Central Rail Trail The Otago Central Rail Trail is a 150-kilometre walking, cycling and horse riding track in the South Island of New Zealand. A pioneering project for New Zealand, the successful rail trail joined the New Zealand Cycle Trail umbrella organisation ...
had brought substantial benefits to an otherwise struggling rural region, and had been assessed as supporting up to 1,000 full and part-time jobs in the region, and that the tourism benefits of a national cycleway would likely be similar. Cycling Advocates' Network supports the proposal as encouraging cycling in New Zealand, while walking advocates also see benefits to be gained from such a route.
Tourism New Zealand Tourism New Zealand is the marketing agency responsible for promoting New Zealand as a tourism destination internationally. It is the trading name of the New Zealand Tourism Board, a Crown entity established under the New Zealand Tourism Board Ac ...
noted that the project could also provide a much-needed boost to the viability and funding of many cities' languishing cycling strategies and plans. Ministry of Tourism figures show that so far (as of 2009), only about 2% of all tourists to New Zealand undertake cycling as part of their activities. The data did however also indicate that cycling tourists stay more than twice as long as the average tourists, and during their time in the country spend about 1.6 times as much as the average tourist. Tourism New Zealand also noted that so far, there was effectively no promotion of New Zealand cycling to overseas tourists, even though it was a significant tourism industry in places like Europe. Estimates for the quick-start projects estimate that each might occupy approximately 40 people in the initial construction period. Prime Minister John Key noted that he expected about 500 jobs to be provided in construction of the cycleways in total, with up to 4,000 eventually created through tourism benefits the trails would bring. In mid-2011, the newsletter of the New Zealand Cycle Trail reported 511 people employed on trail construction. Job experiences from the Far North District were also positive – among other effects, it was reported that of 110 formerly unemployed young people who worked on the project for half a year as part of a government subsidy scheme, 80 had gone on to other work, rather than returning to the dole.


Funding

In May 2009, the government announced that $50 million had been allocated for the cycleway in the budget for the coming three years, provided by the Ministry of Tourism. It was hoped that local authorities and other entities would also provide further sums, with co-funded projects receiving priority for money from the budget.
Investment for the Development of the New Zealand Cycleway Project
' – Cabinet Paper, Ministry of Tourism, May 2009
Of the total sum, $2.5m have been set aside for management and advisory functions in the Ministry of Tourism, while $47.5m will be used to create the National Cycleway Project Fund, from which successful applicants will draw money for construction of routes. By September 2010, $45.6m had been allocated to track construction, and had attracted a further $30m in co-funding from local Councils and other organisations. In July 2010, it was announced that 8 of the 13 cycle trails had received the go-ahead, four needed further study, and one (Tauranga Moana) had been rejected, due to land-use/access issues making the proposal unfeasible in the short term. $18.8 million have been set aside for the approved tracks, with the local authorities adding another $16 million to the project costs. Five more tracks from the list were approved in September 2010. Among the projects that had applied for funding from the new fund after the scope was changed are routes in urban
Auckland Auckland (pronounced ) ( mi, Tāmaki Makaurau) is a large metropolitan city in the North Island of New Zealand. The List of New Zealand urban areas by population, most populous urban area in the country and the List of cities in Oceania by po ...
, as well as on
Waiheke Island Waiheke Island (; Māori: ) is the second-largest island (after Great Barrier Island) in the Hauraki Gulf of New Zealand. Its ferry terminal in Matiatia Bay at the western end is from the central-city terminal in Auckland. It is the most pop ...
and
Great Barrier Island Great Barrier Island ( mi, Aotea) lies in the outer Hauraki Gulf, New Zealand, north-east of central Auckland. With an area of it is the sixth-largest island of New Zealand and fourth-largest in the main chain. Its highest point, Mount Hobson ...
. However, none of these were successful, though
Nikki Kaye Nicola Laura Kaye (born 11 February 1980) is a New Zealand politician who served as Deputy Leader of the New Zealand National Party and Deputy Leader of the Opposition from 22 May 2020 to 14 July 2020. Kaye served as the member of the New Ze ...
, National MP for Auckland, and other sponsors of the proposals, such as Cycle Action Auckland were optimistic that deserving projects like the Waiheke Cycle Trail would still be realised by other means. In February 2014, Prime Minister John Key announced $8 million worth of maintenance funding over four years for the New Zealand Cycle Trail Great Rides In May 2016, another $25m of new-route funding was announced.


Routes


Great Rides

;North Island * Great Lake Trail *
Hauraki Rail Trail The Hauraki Rail Trail is one of the Great Rides of the New Zealand Cycle Trail system, using parts of the abandoned ECMT and Thames Branch railways in the Hauraki Gulf plains and the Coromandel Peninsula. The trail officially starts from K ...
– from Paeroa to Waihi and Paeroa to Thames * Hawke’s Bay Trails * Motu Trails * Mountains to Sea – two new trails covering 245 km in Tongariro and Whanganui National Parks * Remutaka Cycle Trail * Te Ara Ahi – Thermal by Bike *
Timber Trail The Timber Trail, originally known as the Central North Island Rail Trail or Pureora Timber Trail, in the North Island of New Zealand is an cycleway (also used by walkers and hunters) in Pureora Forest Park, fully opened in 2013, with 35 bridges ...
– Originally called Central North Island Rail Trail and proposed as a 60 km trail, but 83 km have been built * Twin Coast Cycle Trail – In the Far North runs from
Opua Opua is a locality in the Bay of Islands, in the sub-tropical Northland Region of New Zealand. It is notable as the first port for overseas yachts arriving in the country after crossing the Pacific Ocean. In the original 1870s plans for the ...
to the Māngungu Mission west of
Horeke Horeke ( mi, Hōreke) is a settlement in the upper reaches of the Hokianga Harbour in Northland, New Zealand. Kohukohu is just across the harbour. The Horeke basalts are located near the town, and can be viewed on an easy stroll through the Wair ...
* Waikato River Trails – two new sections from in the south Waikato, completing a track, opened in November 2011 ;South Island * Alps 2 Ocean Cycle Trail * Around the Mountains Cycle Trail – trail * Clutha Gold Trail * Coppermine Trail * The Old Ghost Road *
Otago Central Rail Trail The Otago Central Rail Trail is a 150-kilometre walking, cycling and horse riding track in the South Island of New Zealand. A pioneering project for New Zealand, the successful rail trail joined the New Zealand Cycle Trail umbrella organisation ...
– Created as a cycle trail in 2000, joined the NZCT system in 2012 *
Queen Charlotte Track The Queen Charlotte Track is a long New Zealand walking track between Queen Charlotte Sound and Kenepuru Sound in the Marlborough Sounds. It extends from Meretoto / Ship Cove in the north to Anakiwa in the south. For most parts, the track le ...
– Created as a walking track, joined the NZCT system in 2013 * Queenstown Trail * Roxburgh Gorge Trail * St James Cycle Trail – 64 km grade 3 loop mountain bike trail built by the Department of Conservation * Tasman’s Great Taste Trail * West Coast Wilderness Trail


Touring Routes

In mid-2011, the New Zealand Cycle Trail announced a second type of route, the "touring route". Composed mainly of existing on-road routes (rather than new dedicated cycleways), these routes are to start linking the various Great Rides and New Zealand in general with officially designated cycling routes, chosen for scenic appeal and suitability for cycling (low motor vehicle traffic volumes etc...). The first three such routes announced, all centred on
Taumarunui Taumarunui is a small town in the King Country of the central North Island of New Zealand. It is on an alluvial plain set within rugged terrain on the upper reaches of the Whanganui River, 65 km south of Te Kuiti and 55 km west of ...
in the central north island, were: * Taumarunui to
New Plymouth New Plymouth ( mi, Ngāmotu) is the major city of the Taranaki region on the west coast of the North Island of New Zealand. It is named after the English city of Plymouth, Devon from where the first English settlers to New Plymouth migrated. ...
(including part of the Forgotten World Highway) * Taumarunui to Whakahoro (linking to the Ruapehu-Whanganui Trails) * Taumarunui to Ongarue (linking to the Pureora
Timber Trail The Timber Trail, originally known as the Central North Island Rail Trail or Pureora Timber Trail, in the North Island of New Zealand is an cycleway (also used by walkers and hunters) in Pureora Forest Park, fully opened in 2013, with 35 bridges ...
)


Public reactions

;Pre-opening While many cycling groups and tourism interests such as
Tourism New Zealand Tourism New Zealand is the marketing agency responsible for promoting New Zealand as a tourism destination internationally. It is the trading name of the New Zealand Tourism Board, a Crown entity established under the New Zealand Tourism Board Ac ...
greeted the project with enthusiasm, there has also been scepticism, mainly related to the potential costs of the project, and the scope for economical benefits. Editorialist
Brian Rudman Brian C. Rudman is a columnist and regular editorial contributor to ''The New Zealand Herald'', New Zealand's largest daily newspaper. He has his own column, 'Rudman's City', where he mainly focuses on issues relating to Auckland (New Zealand's l ...
has also claimed that the cycleway idea smacked of
Depression Era The Great Depression (19291939) was an economic shock that impacted most countries across the world. It was a period of economic depression that became evident after a major fall in stock prices in the United States. The economic contagion ...
make-work schemes for the working classes. Others have countered the criticism noting that the money spent on the cycleway would go back into the New Zealand economy in any case, and leave the country with a lasting infrastructural benefit. Editorialists have remarked that the Prime Minister remained clearly behind the project he helped launch, despite criticism about changes in the estimated costs, and the shift from the initial concept of a single track towards a network. The project has also created enthusiasm among some business groups, with, for example, a meeting of 130
Waikato Waikato () is a Regions of New Zealand, local government region of the upper North Island of New Zealand. It covers the Waikato District, Waipa District, Matamata-Piako District, South Waikato District and Hamilton, New Zealand, Hamilton City ...
business and government representatives endorsing it for the tourism, health and economic benefits it could bring to Hamilton and the Waikato. Also supportive was the New Zealand Contractors' Federation, which considered that it would be very beneficial for many
small and medium enterprises Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) or small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) are businesses whose personnel and revenue numbers fall below certain limits. The abbreviation "SME" is used by international organizations such as the World Bank ...
during hard economic times.Proposals for North to South Cycleway Welcome
(press release of the New Zealand Contractors' Federation, via ''scoop.co.nz'', 11 March 2009. Retrieved 20 January 2010.)
The cycleway project is also seen as a potential lifeline for small town such as Kumara on the West Coast. The small town, a former gold mining centre, now has only a few hundred inhabitants left, and is facing the closure of its only remaining store. Westland's Mayor
Maureen Pugh Maureen Helena Pugh (born 1958) is a New Zealand politician who is a Member of Parliament for the National Party. She has twice appeared to have won a list seat based on preliminary results, then missed out on a seat when the final results cam ...
noted that the Westland Wilderness Trail, which was selected as one of the 13 Phase II trails, could be a "saving grace" by bringing tourism into the area. Similar hopes have been expressed by locals in towns like
Kaikohe Kaikohe is the seat of the Far North District of New Zealand, situated on State Highway 12 about 260 km from Auckland. It is the largest inland town and highest community above sea level in the Northland Region. With a population of over ...
in Northland. Occasionally, locals, especially farmers, have however expressed concerns that vandalism would occur when tourists on bikes travelled through previously inaccessible areas, though experiences from the Otago Rail Trail indicates that such fears are overstated.


See also

*
Cycling in New Zealand Cycling in New Zealand, while relatively popular as a sport, is a very marginal commuting mode, with the share hovering around 1–3% in most major cities. This is due to a number of factors, principally safety fears. History The bicycle reache ...


References


Further reading

* * Gerald Cunningham – 2013 – Guide to the Alps 2 Ocean Cycle Trail * Gerald Cunningham – 2013 – Guide to the Queenstown Cycle Trail * * * * *


External links


Nga Haerenga, The New Zealand Cycle Trail
(official USER website for NZ cycle trail project)
New Zealand Cycling Network map

Great Rides on NZByBike
(marketing New Zealand cycle tourism)
Cycle Trails New Zealand
(New Zealand Trails website for local and international tourism) {{New Zealand Cycle Trail Tourism in New Zealand Cycle Trail