The Government has "changed the goalposts" on the proposed Around the Mountain cycleway and the "quick start" project needs another $7 million, the Southland District Council (SDC) said yesterday.
Almost a year on from Prime Minister John Key's unveiling of seven possible national cycleways and a $50 million fund, SDC chief executive David Adamson said yesterday he would have liked the Government to "back the big winners", such as Around the Mountain, "rather than sprinkle a little bit far and wide."
There had been constant "backwards and forwards" between the council answering requests for more information from the Ministry of Tourism, he said.
"We want a final stake in the ground where they come, so we can get the other bits in place.
We think it's a great product and there's the strongest support from the community."
The easy-graded 175km cycleway, estimated to cost $11 million, would now be constructed in two stages, Venture Southland community development and events group manager Rex Capil said yesterday.
Construction of the first 80km section, from Walter Peak to Mossburn, would begin "very optimistically" in February 2011 and open to the public when finished.
Progress would depend in part on resource consents and the SDC might employ more than one contractor.
The ministry would fund construction of the $4 million first stage.
Preliminary work for the $7 million second section, from Mossburn to Kingston, would take 12 to 18 months to complete, once stage one was finished.
The entire cycleway could be open in late 2012, Mr Capil said.
Mr Adamson said redesigns and re-routing were being considered to minimise the cost of the second stage.
Competitive contracts and the right timing would help and community funders, service clubs and sponsors would be approached for support, he said.
"The full economic benefit of the trail will not be recognised until the whole trail is completed, a point the ministry appears to be missing.
"Staff and various groups are working hard to find ways to raise the rest of the funding, which is about another $7 million.
The Government has changed the goalposts on us and we are working on modifying everything as quickly as possible to adapt to their changing demands."
Mr Capil said the cycleway involved extensive consultation, negotiations and processes with authorities, agencies, landowners and communities, which took time and work, he said.
"We're in the process, hopefully, of having the final lot of information required by the ministry and we would be anticipating a funding agreement signed off by the end of the month, at the latest."
