Submissions closed on Monday on the Peninsula Bay recreation reserve management plan, which overlooks Beacon Point, Lake Wānaka and the Clutha River outlet.
The draft plan reveals the Upper Clutha Tracks Trust plans to create a new shared grade 3 standard walking and biking track at Peninsula Bay to reduce trail user conflicts and address safety issues.
Bike Wānaka supported the trust’s proposed shared track that connects to other shared paths to create a loop from Wānaka town through Kirimoko trails to Beacon Point and back.
In 2018, the 1000-member bike club took part in Environment Court appeals, engaged lawyers and mediated with Infinity Ltd to make sure the 21ha recreation reserve and its bike trails were protected in the subdivision plan.
More than 300 houses have been built at Peninsula Bay.
The Environment Court action prevented an additional 16 houses being built on the reserve.
The bike tracks connect to Sticky Forest, which is also full of biking trails developed by the club over the last 30 years.
The forest is owned by the Crown and is in the process of being transferred to Māori.
The future of its trails is unknown.
Thread the Needle, one of the most popular Peninsula Bay bike tracks, "tends to get crammed because it has the best views" over Lake Wānaka, the draft plan says.
The draft plan suggests creating three clearings with picnic tables to provide viewpoints and a resting place for bikers.
Bike Wānaka raised with the Queenstown Lakes District Council it wanted to "leave the current mountainbike network untouched" and "not seek to formally encourage people to walk these tracks".
The club wanted to support the shared path proposed by the trust and encourage the inclusion of side paths to various viewpoints.
It also wanted to note the history and contribution to the reserve creation through its legal case and mediation with Infinity.
Feedback was scheduled to go live on the QLDC website yesterday.
The Wānaka Upper Clutha Community Board will hold a workshop on December 11 and is scheduled to consider a final plan for adoption on February 8.
