Club's offer to advance cycleway

Tauranga Round Table hand a cheque for $100 000,over to Tauranga City Councillors that could unlock an agreement to build the Omokoroa to Tauranga cycleway. Photo/Andrew Warner

A small but dedicated Tauranga service club has put its money where its mouth is in a bid to convince the city council to support the Omokoroa to Tauranga cycleway.

Tauranga Round Table has pledged $100,000 towards the cycleway if the council agrees to stump up with the remaining $400,000 needed to make the project happen.

The Round Tablers have selected the cycleway as its enduring legacy project, funded through profits from Blues Brews & BBQs - a festival which the club used to run.

We are putting our money where our mouth is ... we have all got kids of different ages. The cycleway will be a healthy bit of family fun.

Phil Hunt

"We feel this is a project that will make a significant contribution to our community by promoting family, healthy lifestyles, tourism and economic growth," club president Phil Hunt said.

The donation was conditional on the council committing itself to the rest of the $500,000 local share needed to build the Tauranga leg of the route from the Wairoa River to the railway underpass between Ngatai Rd and the track across to Matua.

Mr Hunt said the $100,000 was also conditional on the project being completed within 18 months or as soon as practicable thereafter.

The club was seeking naming rights to the city end of the cycleway, with Tauranga Table Cycle Trail one suggestion.

Mr Hunt said most club members enjoyed cycling, which epitomised the health and lifestyle benefits of living in the Bay of Plenty.

"We are putting our money where our mouth is ... we have all got kids of different ages. The cycleway will be a healthy bit of family fun."

The announcement comes as community pressure had been piling on the council to reverse its decision not to fund its share of the cycleway.

Tauranga Round Table hand a cheque for $100 000,over to Tauranga City Councillors that could unlock an agreement to build the Omokoroa to Tauranga cycleway. Photo/Andrew Warner

City councillors Gail McIntosh and Bev Edlin were at yesterday's announcement, which featured club members gathering around a giant cheque next to the underpass.

Cr Edlin said the project would have huge safety benefits by taking cyclists off SH2.

The council's original 5-4 vote opposing the $500,000 contribution received a massive community backlash during the 2015-25 Plan submissions last week. The two councillors signalled the narrow losing margin may have swung around to a winning one, but the final decision would not be made until the council considered submissions next month.