Bike park big winner with $70k grant

The grant in the new council scheme will be used to progress plans for a mountain bike park at Waitangi to rival that in Rotorua's Whakarewarewa Forest. Photo / File

Plans for an international-standard mountain bike park at Waitangi have been given a $70,000 boost by the Far North District Council.

Focus Paihia, which is developing the park in Waitangi Forest, was the biggest winner of five groups to receive a share of just under $200,000 as part of a district grants scheme established in the council's 2014-2015 Annual Plan.

Waitangi Mountain Bike Park project driver, Tiffany Holland, said the grant would help pay for pilot trails and encourage other funders to stump up for the $2 million development.
The proposal is for a world-class facility with up to 70km of tracks attracting thousands of riders to the Far North each year.

Mayor John Carter said 29 applications were received for the $199,000 available, so choosing the winners was a difficult task.

"It's great to see there are so many people and organisations that are committed to improving recreational opportunities and infrastructure in the district," he said.
The Hokianga Sailing Trust was granted $40,000 to complete a boat shed and gym at the Rawene Domain.

The trust suffered a huge setback last year when $15,000 worth of cladding was. The project is now back on track thanks to the grant and Far North businesses such as Totalspan, which replaced the stolen cladding.

Trust president Rene de Vries said the trust was grateful to Totalspan and the council. The grant would be used to finish interior work on the building which it hoped to finish by October, in time for the summer sailing season.

Another $39,000 was granted to the Mitimiti on the Grid Project.

Manager Robyn Kamira said Mitimiti, on the west coast north of the Hokianga Harbour, had been underserved by telcos and only received broadband three years ago.

Her group saw the advantages that increased connectivity could provide so worked with Nga Pu Waea (the National Maori Broadband Working Group), Chorus, Vodafone, My Republic and a group of volunteer technical consultants to bring fibre, cell coverage wi-fi and internet to Mitimiti.

Ms Kamira expected the improved infrastructure would boost the local economy by providing opportunities for existing businesses and encouraging new and home-based businesses.

"We're an isolated settlement that struggles to keep people. We expect this project will contribute to changing that around," she said.

The other grants were $28,963 to the Mangonui Rugby Union, for floodlights at Arnold Rae Park in Kaitaia, and $21,335 to flood-hit Kawakawa Bowling Club for a new bowling green.