A new jump park for mountain bikers is to be created on Queenstown Hill to replace the world-class Gorge Rd facility.
The Queenstown Lakes District Council yesterday approved a 10-year licence for the Queenstown Mountain Bike Club to use an area of land next to Kerry Dr.
Both club and council had been seeking an alternative site as the Gorge Rd licence is set to expire next winter and there is a plan to flatten the site for parking and bus storage.
Club president Chris Conway said he was really excited by the opportunities offered at the new location on Queenstown Hill.
Not only would it mean the club retained a presence in the centre of Queenstown, but the contours of the land provided scope to create something interesting.
Mr Conway said the current park catered for advanced jumpers and the club would look to build beginner to intermediate jumps at the new location, alongside a more skilled course.
"Gorge Rd is one of the premier facilities in the world, but it’s not for everyone."
He said it was too early to give a price for the works, but the club had saved in anticipation of the move.
"Our funding is spread pretty thin when trying to do big projects like this, so we always want to put the word out for more funding because there are future projects we want to do."
During the council’s discussion yesterday, Cr Quentin Smith poured scorn on the idea of replacing the "world-class" Gorge Rd facility with unattractive holding yards.
"The value of biking in our community, as a sport and an attraction for tourism, is underestimated."
He said the jump park had brought elite athletes from across the globe to Queenstown and he would be disappointed to see it replaced with a holding yard for vehicles.
Community concerns around bikers whizzing down residential streets or taking up car parks were allayed by the creation of a new access route and 20-plus car park.
The club last week unveiled an upgraded Wynyard Jump Park in Fernhill and last month celebrated the opening of the Hot Rod trail on Coronet Peak.
