Reserves the trail runs through are being reclassified to suit the trail's uses.
Council property manager Dan Egerton of APL Property told the Otago Daily Times yesterday there had been applications from some commercial operators and these would be considered once the reclassification was done.
On Tuesday, the council adopted Mr Egerton's recommendation to reclassify reserves the trail passes through, such as the Frankton Marina Reserve. This will mean changing its classification from Local Purpose Marina Reserve to Local Purpose Marina and Access Way Reserve.
Queenstown Trails Trust chief executive Kaye Parker said part of the original agreement with the Government to gain funding for the trail was that it would generate jobs and attract tourists to the town. For this reason it was important to ensure commercial operators would be able to access QLDC land on the trail.
The Queenstown Trail will run from Jacks Point to Queenstown central, then to Arrowtown and the Gibbston valley. It will officially open in mid-October.
Mrs Parker said there would be restrictions on numbers for each guided tour.
Mr Egerton said operators would have the use of QLDC land while still protecting the Frankton Marina and other reservesThis proposal will now go to public notification and be open for submissions for the next 20 days.
If there are no submissions, APL Property will apply to the Ministry of Conservation on behalf of QLDC for the process to begin.
The Department of Conservation has indicated there would be no issue reclassifying the reserve, Mr Egerton said.
The estimated cost for the process is $2000.
Crs Lex Perkins and Cath Gilmour were appointed to hear any submissions.
