Ambivalent doesn't begin to describe his conflicting emotions.
In keeping with the craggy bluffs that shadow him at the wheel, the Clutha River Cruises skipper says he is "between a rock and a hard place".
He believes blasting and bulldozing a 10km "trail to nowhere" is pure folly and could ruin the gorge's magic.
"I think this is New Zealand's best-kept secret and to drive a flaming scar down it is sacrilege.
"These guys [the Roxburgh Gorge Trail Trust] are going hell for leather to uplift government funding that's going to scar pristine landscape."
At the same time, he knows how much of a shot in the arm it could give local business.
"I don't want to appear to be knocking it over because, God knows, Alexandra needs something."
Toyer runs tours down the gorge. Nobody knows it better, or cherishes it more.
Now he has been approached by the trail trust - which is bogged by land-access problems - about the possibility of taking cyclists and walkers by boat for most of the 34km trail journey.
Contractors bidding to build the opening 10km from Alexandra have also asked him to quote on transporting their heavy machinery downriver.
Work is poised to begin, pending final easement approvals, but the remainder of the trail is in limbo.
One farming family has balked at granting an access easement because of "intrusive and frustrating" dealings with the trust.
And two other station owners are angling to use the trust's desire to thread the trail through their pastoral-lease river frontage to secure freehold title in tenure-review negotiations.
Farmers can wait a long time for tenure review, an exhaustive dance that can drag on for years.
Trust chairman Stephen Jeffery says a hybrid cycle-boat trip through the gorge is a viable alternative.
"The first 10km down that gorge, in my mind, will be the most spectacular ride anywhere. It's stunning.
"We're targeting inbound tour operators who are going to put people on this trail. We're going to pick them up and we're going to put them on top of the [Roxburgh] dam. And they're going to carry on to Lawrence [on the Clutha Gold Trail].
"That's the target market, isn't it? That's really what we're on about."
Enter Toyer, who, as the go-to river operator, could be excused for doing a backflip.
His most popular Clutha River run is from Alexandra to Doctors Point - just across from Flat Top Hill, where, for the foreseeable future, the 10km trail section would come to a shuddering halt.
He depends on punters stepping on to his boat and into a time warp with remnants of goldrush workings and dozens of historic mining huts on the river's edge.
The hush of water against the mighty rock leaves tourists dumbstruck.
The experience with mountain-bikers and walkers is something part of him wants to support - but he fears the trail could end up destroying his tourist trade.
"I seriously do believe it's a pristine piece of landscape that should be left alone," Toyer says.
"I've put 10 years into building what is now an internationally recognised business ... If [the trail] goes through and leaves a massive scar on the landscape, I'll pack up my business and go.
"I'm an Aussie, I know, but this is New Zealand's history and, if you destroy it, it ain't coming back."
Toyer says he'd find it easier to accept the trail if it were going all the way. A part-build leaves him cold.
"The trail as it's planned at the moment is a trail to nowhere. How is building 10km assisting a national cycle network?"
Despite his objections, he admits he'll probably ride to the rescue if the hamstrung trust wants him to.
Doesn't that make him a hypocrite?
"Of course I'm a hypocrite," Toyer sighs. "Otherwise, I'd be bankrupt."
