Seven people have volunteered to swell the ranks of the Roxburgh Gorge Trail Trust.
The charitable trust responsible for the proposed 34km cycle trail from Alexandra to Roxburgh recently advertised for trustees with a range of skills.
Four people from within the Roxburgh Community Board district and three from the Vincent Community Board area have registered their interest, trust secretary Barrie Wills said yesterday.
They will join Mr Wills, who is a Vincent board member, Roxburgh board chairman Stephen Jeffery, who is also the trust chairman, Vincent board chairwoman Clair Higginson and former Central Otago mayor Malcolm Macpherson.
Last month Mr Jeffery said the trust was looking for at least two more people to join. Plans had been progressed as much as they could and it was time to get more trustees there for the "long haul".
Skills including marketing, outdoor recreation, the law, accounting, farming, local leadership and community involvement were sought.
The trail will be built on the State Highway 8 side of Lake Roxburgh and has been given $2 million of government funding under the New Zealand Cycle Trail project.
The project is expected to cost $3.3 million and the trust will have to find the rest of the money.
Land-use resource consents were granted for the trail last October.
The Central Otago District Council had applied to itself for consent for works and structures associated with the construction, operation and maintenance of the trail, on behalf of the trust.
Independent commissioner Denis Nugent, of Wanaka, heard the application and granted consent, subject to 21 conditions.
Negotiation of easements with 11 private landowners, the Department of Conservation, Land Information New Zealand and Contact are continuing.
