Queenstown residents have responded with an emphatic "no" to council’s question of whether Frankton Track should be sealed.
Information released this week showed 95% of the 1232 respondents to a Queenstown Lakes District Council survey were not in favour of the idea.
Council media and channels adviser Sam White said about a quarter of those cited the costs involved, and alternative ways council might spend the money.
"There was also feedback that unsealed tracks generally felt more natural and were nicer to run on."
In March, council opened up submissions for feedback on three types of surface seal being trialled at different points along the track, deemed a "priority route" in the Whakatipu Active Travel Network.
The trio of 10m-long sections were laid to determine which grade could potentially be used to seal the entire track.
But Mr White said half of the survey responses came in before the trial surfaces were laid.
A lack of a clear conclusion from a 2021 council survey, asking if sealing the track would make people use it more, was one of the reasons why it went back to ask the community again with trial surfaces, he said.
Only 128 people responded to that first survey, with 31% yes, 38% no and 31% neutral.
Council’s infrastructure committee will consider the trial results and specialist advice in a November meeting.
