Collecting $35,000 in maintenance contributions is a good start towards making the Clutha Gold and Roxburgh Gorge cycle trails self-funded, the head of the trails marketing and promotion company says.
The sum has been collected in just under two years, since the trails were opened in October 2013, with half the amount gathered each year, Central Otago Clutha Trails Ltd chairman Stephen Jeffery said yesterday.
Cyclists and walkers using the trails have been asked to pay a yearly contribution of $25 per person or $50 per family, which gives them access to both trails for the year.
They receive a tag.
''It's not a big sum of money and considering all the volunteer hours that go into maintaining the trails, we don't think it's unfair,'' Mr Jeffery said.
It was difficult to work out what percentage of trail users paid the contribution as counters measuring track use were at certain points and many people completed only part of a trail.
''We're pretty happy to get as much buy-in as we have and as trail patronage grows, the figure will become more significant and we'll be closer to the goal of being self-funding.''
