NCC Long Term Plan Submission
Nelson City Council’s Long-Term Plan (10-year budget) is up for consultation!
The Nelson Mountain Bike Club is passionate about our community securing a long term access agreement with Ngāti Koata to be able to recreate on their land. The Nelson City Council has identified the access agreement as a ‘project’ in their long term plan that is out now for public consultation. Everyone can make a submission on the long term plan, these submissions will influence what the council prioritise is important to our region.
Nelson Mountain Bike Club will be asking Nelson City Council to prioritise negotiating a long term access plan with Ngāti Koata.
We are encouraging all of our members, and the wider mountain biking community, to have their say by 28 April 2024. If you’d like to know that access to Ngāti Koata land, including Codgers “Koata Park”, the Coppermine Triangle (an area where the Coppermine Trail passes through Ngāti Koata whenua), Fringed Hill Road, Matai Face and part of the Sharlands area is secure please make a submission.
You can read the NCC LTP document online here. The long term access plan with Ngāti Koata is under other proposed projects and changes.
Potential Trails Impacted
The maps below shows the number of Nelson trails that are avaliable with access to Ngāti Koata land and without.
With Ngāti Koata land access
Around 80% of Nelson’s trails are on, or accessed through, land owned by Ngāti Koata. This includes trails in Sharlands, Codgers and Coppermine.
Without Ngāti Koata land access
We would be left with only a few trails to ride in Nelson and we would lose our world-class status.
We know how busy everyone is so here’s some helpful tips on filling in the form online:
You don’t have to give feedback on all issues – If you only want to provide feedback on the negotiating long term access with Ngāti Koata whenua. You can skip ahead to Question 10 ‘Any other comments’ section.
- Nelson Mountain Bike Club will be asking Nelson City Council to prioritise negotiating a long-term access plan with Ngāti Koata. These negotiations have been ongoing since December 2020.
- Nelson is recognised as being a world-class mountain biking destination, but we could quickly lose that status without access to Ngāti Koata whenua (land).
- Our trails are hugely important and highly valued in Nelson Tasman for visitors and the local community.
- Mountain biking was recently estimated to have potential value of $49m direct spend for our local economy on the basis of full access – and that’s not counting the wider economic benefits such as the many skilled workers who choose to live here beacuse of the quality of the trails!
- Nelson Mountain Bike Club members have been working tirelessly for the last 35 years to establish Nelson as a world-class riding destination.
- Mountain biking is part of the social fabric of Nelson, it builds community and is part of our identity.
- Mountain biking is important for our health and wellbeing and helps us be more connected as a community.
These are our key points, we would like as many people to submit as possible, but please try to do so in your own words, and with your own perspective. The above is a guide for you to use, rather than copy.
You don’t need to be a Nelson City resident to complete the submission so if you live in Tasman, or further a field, and care about securing long-term access to Ngāti Koata land then please make a submission.
You may also consider showing your support for:
- Extending East-West Cycle way link. This project would see an extension of the existing cycleway work currently underway in the hospital area.
- Council’s Forestry Approach. Support council’s proposal to change their approach and exit commercial forestry over time and grow a continuous canopy of mixed species.
SUBMISSION INFO NIGHT AT TWO THUMBS
Date: Tuesday 16 April
Time: 5.30 – 7.00pm
Free: all welcome
Join us at Two Thumbs Brewing Co. next Tuesday for a chat and a Q&A about the submission process. We’ll have printed copies of the submissions form for you to fill out if you prefer to go old school.
You have been given a chance to have your say – use it – or lose it! And in terms of mountain biking in Nelson, there’s potential to LOSE a lot!
