Great Rides has been supported by a new funding arrangement that will see it continue into the future as a valuable asset to the tourism economy.
A new funding arrangement to support the management and maintenance of New Zealand’s 23 iconic Great Rides will enable Kiwis and international visitors to get out to the regions, now and into the future, Tourism and Hospitality Minister Louise Upston has announced.
“The Government is committing NZD 7.5 million over three years from the New Zealand Cycle Trail Fund to ensure our world-class trails continue to deliver economic, recreational, and environmental benefits to communities,” Minister Upston said.
“Each year, more than two million people use the Great Rides of Ngā Haerenga, the New Zealand Cycle Trails, and earlier this week, we saw new data that shows our Great Rides pump NZD 1.28 billion a year into our local economies. This funding will only support this growth.”
The Minister added that preserving New Zealand’s Great Rides for the future was important. She said they create jobs, support businesses such as bike hire and tour companies, and attract hospitality and accommodation services to set up shop nearby.
The new Trail Management funding has two key components:
- Maintenance: Funding to improve and maintain trail quality and address any trail audit findings as they arise.
- Management: Each Great Ride will receive funding for a dedicated trail manager.
The Great Rides were set up by Sir John Key’s National-led Government in 2009 and have been an effective partnership between central and local government and the communities that host the trails for more than a decade/
Minister Upston said the three years of funding has provided certainty for the Government’s trail partners and have enabled better long-term planning.
In addition to this new funding arrangement, the New Zealand Government recently announced investments in cycle trail infrastructure in both Ruapehu and Dunedin, with more to come.
“We are committed to ensuring all our Great Rides remain well-maintained and managed for the future, continuing to attract visitors and deliver economic benefits,” Upston said.
The new funding approach combines two previous funding activities (operational funding for trail managers and trail maintenance funding, which was first instigated in 2024/25 for one year) into a long-term funding arrangement to provide greater funding certainty for the trails to secure the necessary co-funding from trail partners and to better plan and manage their trail maintenance activities over time.
More news here.
