Media release

Group to push for Napier-Gisborne rail trail and walkway

A group of Hawkes Bay and Poverty Bay cycling enthusiasts is to set up a trust to raise funds for a feasibility study on a combined rail trail and walkway on the Napier to Gisborne railway corridor.

“We believe a rail trail and walkway will give the region, including the small towns along the route, a huge boost through increased tourism and job opportunities,” said Brian Fisher Hawke’s Bay cyclist.

“Based on other similar projects, such as the Central Otago Rail Trail, we see the potential for a multi-million dollar injection into the region, building on its existing strengths in tourism such as great weather, beaches and food and wine.

“It will also be a great recreational resource.

“We believe that the railway line, if it is kept open, will not be able to match the economic benefits of the rail trail-walkway proposal.”

The 200 kilometre trail has the working name of the ‘Bay2Bay’ and the backers believe it has the potential to be one of New Zealand’s top cycle-walkways. Its features would include the Esk Forest, the Mohaka Viaduct and Mahia Peninsula, stunning East Coast high country landscape and the numerous tunnels.

Potential overnight stopovers could include Tutira, Puturino, Wairoa and the Mahia Peninsula area.

Graham Elliot, cyclist and businessman from Gisborne, said the Bay2Bay’s backers recognised that much work needed to be done to show that proposal stacked up, including completing a feasibility study to examine among other things costs, sources of income, related opportunities such as in tourism and technical and legal issues.

“We think we are sitting on a great opportunity, but it needs to be checked out and obviously we need to raise the money to do this.

“If the feasibility study gives a green light, we’d like to see the Bay2Bay proposal go head to head with any proposal to maintain the current rail link.

“We believe the Bay2Bay proposal has more to offer the region, and the country as a whole. If KiwiRail believe they can do better than one train a week on the line, let them put what they have got on the table.”

Fisher said the Bay2Bay backers realised that the rail trail-walkway could become an option if the Government decided to close the line, but they felt that the Bay2Bay was potentially too good to be treated as a fall back if KiwiRail couldn’t make the line work.

The next step for the Bay2Bay backers is to formally create a trust and begin fund raising.