Nathan Greenwood, the park’s designer and builder, said only the intervention of elected councillors would stop the diggers from demolishing what he considered to be his life’s work.
He is outlining his thoughts to councillors and council staff today at the park.
The park is set to close and be turned into a storage area for council plant and equipment being used in infrastructure projects in the town.
A decision by the council last week to delay the destruction of the jumps until the end of the month has been a minor victory.
In a statement, council property and infrastructure head Peter Hansby said the council had been discussing the future of the Gorge Rd site with the Queenstown Mountain Bike Club since 2017, confirming in 2018 it would need the site for town centre infrastructure projects.
So it was ‘‘disappointing’’ the club was now saying it was unhappy about the plan to relocate the park to a recreation reserve on Queenstown Hill, Mr Hansby said.
Both parties worked to find an equivalent, if not better site, for the club, close to town with an available water source, tree coverage and space for off-street parking, he said.
In 2018, a club presentation to council said the new site’s terrain had ‘‘great gradients and contours’’, which would allow it to build jumps suitable for all ability levels, the statement said
As well as funding investigations into the new site and pushing through a consent on the club’s behalf, the council has just finished building a $400,000 car park and toilet there.
It has also given the club $100,000 to help with the earthworks needed to build the jumps.
Mr Hansby said the offer by billionaire resort resident Rod Drury to buy the Gorge Rd site and give it back to the council, on the proviso the jump park was retained, was an ‘‘outstanding gesture’’.
But the council had been working on securing sites to support infrastructure projects for ‘‘some years’’, and it was still looking.
