Submission calling more mountain bike trail support and implementation of a robust cycling strategy to address safe community cycling connections

1. Submission to PCC Long Term Plan
April, 2015

2. Who is Mana Cycle Group (MCG)
• Group lobbying PCC to develop mountain bike (MTB)
opportunities since the mid 2000s.
• General cycling advocacy role.
• Incorporated Club with full Charitable Status, run by highly
experienced professionals donating volunteer time.
• 460+ Facebook Followers
• Has a management agreement with DOC for trail
development in Colonial Knob Scenic Reserve
• Has a partnership agreement in drafting stage with Ngati Toa
covering park and individual trail naming.
• Has almost agreed an MoU with PCC.
• Member of Cycling NZ providing liability insurance for trail
and event activity.

3. MCG has proven reliability during 2014-15
• PCC’s $40k for MTB trails has been more than doubled in
cash. (leveraged to a total $110k)
• Despite having to cease new trail building for a year, 1,000+
man-hours ($20k+) have been contributed, including trail
investigation, upgrading Raiha Walkway and resource
consent development.
• Planted 750 trees for hill stabilisation and native
revegetation.
• Installed and monitored 44 pest traps, coordinated BNZ
weed control day.
• MCG’s credibility and relationship building has been the
driver in engagement of Ngati Toa and DOC in the Rangituhi
Trail Park project.

4. Submission Key Points
1. MCG supports PCCs proposed new emphasis on engaging Children and Young
People but there is little in the plan to bring tangible meaning to this concept.
2. Rangituhi Trail Park (Colonial Knob) is a game changer for Porirua. It is the single-
most cost effective initiative to enhance Porirua as a place to live, visit, study,
invest and work, for ALL age groups. This will create a new community asset for
future generations with modest maintenance requirement. This should be a
priority project in the LTP with adequate funding.
3. The LTP does not set out an exciting vision for the way cycling and other active
transport infrastructure will support community outcomes and stop Porirua
falling further behind other cities. We re-submit our November 2014 LTP paper
which details how we think PCC should address a robust cycling strategy.
Paremata-CBD and Onepoto-CBD should be TOP priority for pathway investment.
Work on these must be brought forward in the LTP.
4. MCG supports the $4m investment in Whitford Brown intersection improvements
provided this includes a safe, lead practice cycling connection from Papakowhai
Rd to Okowai Rd as part of the Paremata-CBD cycling route.

5. Trail Park development at Rangituhi/Colonial
Knob should be a priority project in the LTP
• The LTP only has $40k annual funding reducing to $20k in five years with zero funding from
year 6 of the 10 year plan.
• MCG has invested many hours engaging with PCC during 2014/15 to try to develop an
implementation plan and budgets for a 10 year MTB park vision. We have been clear that
$40k per annum is insufficient. The meagre LTP funding is a complete surprise and
disappointment to MCG. It shows no serious commitment to partnership by PCC.
• Required funding is no surprise to PCC, MCG has communicated it for several years.
• In April 2013 MCG produced a MTB Park plan with a $300-$400k investment requirement.
• In February 2014 we presented to PCC Te Komiti seeking $100k in year one and $70k per
annum ongoing. This was based on Makara Peak and Wainuiomata MTB park cases.
• The $40k for MCG is only a fraction of PCC’s 2015/16 funding of the following projects:
– 21% of the $190k for Bothamley Park,
– 18% of the $228k for Te Ara Piko,
– 8% of the $500k for the Splash Pad;
The ROI on a quality MTB park, in community, economic and external profile building
benefits, justifies at least equivalent funding priority.
• It is fiscally irresponsible to sit on a 6 year old investment of $1.3m in Colonial Knob
Parklands, without realising the opportunity provide increased community use.

6. MTB is serious business.
Queenstown MTB Club’s
t-shirt summarises how
MTB has created a
valuable new visitor
attraction industry for
this already successful ski
destination.
Rotorua’s trails have been
credited with generating
$10m p.a. in benefit,
more than 4x the timber
value from the forest
resource.

7. MTB is one of the region’s highest participation
activities. Consider the PCC’s investment in assets for
these other sports and the cost per particpant.

8. Numerous North American studies on
http://headwaterseconomics.org/trail
show that:
• Trails can generate business impacts and create new jobs by
attracting visitors, especially overnight visitors.
• Local trail users often use community trails multiple times per
week, and trails are a valuable part of residents’ quality of life.
• Trails are often associated with higher property value, especially
when a trail is designed to provide neighbourhood access.
• Trails are associated with increased physical activity and improved
public health.

9. Other Benefits
• New resource for low income communities. Even for those families that
can’t afford a $50 second hand bike, much of the new trail network is also
for walking and running. This is on the doorstep for Elsdon/Takapuwahia
residents and a small bus fare from Porirua East.
• Increase community engagement in ecological restoration of the
Western Green Belt reserves and parklands. The existing trails are steep
and not built to sustainable standards. By building sustainable, very easy
trails this will open access for a much larger proportion of the community.
If they can experience the bush first hand they will begin to value it more.
When they value it more they will help us with restoration projects.
• New resource for other sporting codes to use as cross-training. Rangituhi
Trail Park will be increasingly used by other codes such as rugby, football,
league, hockey, netball for their fitness training.

10. MTB Benefits Comparison
Rangituhi Trail Park Splashpad
More outdoor fun for local kids Yes Yes
Useable year-round? Yes for walking. Biking excluded a few days
post heavy rain events
No. 1/3 of the year less inclement summer
weather days (estimate further 1/3 reduction)
Attract visitors from within the region yes yes
Attract Domestic visitors Yes No. Some will use the splashpad if coming
anyway but not a key reason to visit
Attract international visitors Yes No. A very few will use if coming anyway
Adds vibrancy to City Centre? Yes, people will ride from city bike shops and
the station into the trail park. Those driving
pass through the city and many will stop.
No. Disconnected from CBD and too easy for
visitors to come and go to Aotea Lagoon without
going to the city or any Porirua businesses.
Appeals to youth? Yes, All age groups, particularly youth No. Primarily <=10 and their parents
Unique in the region? MTB parks not unique but the proportion of
easy trails will be unique and the 10km “Big
Easy” trail will be unique in NZ.
No, 20 minutes to Raumati with more open
weather days, and soon Otaki. Kilbirnie has a
bigger splash area year-round indoors.
Likely to achieve external media
coverage?
Yes, it will host specialist media generating
print, TV and global social media profile.
Limited. A few local stories in year 1. Some local-
local and local to family/friends social media.
Funding model and leverage Major volunteer resourcing.
<50% ratepayer funded
100% Debt funded by ratepayers
Operating cost/Ongoing maintenance Estimate $70k per annum maintenance once
fully established.
Not identified in LTP. Significant operating cost
in water, electricity and servicing. Add
depreciation 10 years renewal? $50k p.a.
MCG can see the appeal of a splash pad and we are not lobbying against it. We just want to see robust strategic thinking on
PCC’s investment against genuine outcomes and see appropriate commitment to the trail park.

11. MTB Benefits Comparison (Cont’d)
Rangituhi Trail Park Splashpad
Creates new educational resource? Yes. Serves as additional school PE and
adventure education facility.
Enables MTB trail development skills
programmes.
No. It will slightly alter school trips which
already go to Aotea lagoon and playground
Generates new community
biodiversity contribution?
Yes. MCG uses trail interest to engage
community in planting, weed and pest
control.
No
Community interest legacy 10 years of lobbying.
Generated the highest number of individual
submissions in support in annual planning
2014, higher than the number submissions
against rates increases.
Someone proposed it in the last annual plan
round because they liked the one in Raumati. A
petition raised multiple signatures but the
number of individual submissions was low. The
community has been given no information on
the business case.
MCG can see the appeal of a splash pad and we are not lobbying against it. We just want to see robust strategic thinking on
PCC’s investment against genuine outcomes and see appropriate commitment to the trail park.

12. Other Porirua Cycling Investments
• Develop a comprehensive cycling strategy including:
– robust demand/trend data such as battery powered bikes creating a step-change in
commuting.
– listing the various pathway and other cycling investment opportunities
– Applying clear criteria to establish prioritisation of investment.
• Consider cycle commuting infrastructure separately from recreational pathway
investment.
• Move forward investment in the Onepoto-Wineera pathway.
• Start investigating and designing improvements to Paremata-CBD in 2015/16.
(Regardless of what happens to SH1 when Transmission Gully opens, the route along
Paremata Road will need addressing. Any option on the harbour side of the current
SH1 will not have the necessary connections to the communities, schools and facilities
in Papakowhai-Aotea.)
• Develop Bothamley Pathway as a commutable connection from Whitby to the CBD
• Proactively support local village and school-based bike skills development facilities
within the above city strategic framework. Ascot Park Village Plan and Gareth Varley
Bike Park is a key example.
• Improve cycling connections in and around the CBD, especially the Railway station to
Raiha Walkway.
• Actively encourage developers to provide functional intra and inter-suburban
connections using both off-road pathways and singletrack MTB trails. (Rather than
placing impractically steep paths on unusable reserve land).

13. Cycleway
Priorities
Money needed to join
up main populations,
schools and CBD
This is where most of the
money has gone/is going

14. Sport NZ Active NZ Survey
Cycling is in the top five activities that participants did, were most interested
in doing and were most interested in trying.
All of these decreased except
Cycling and Jogging/Running

16. Biggest Increase.
Men +1.5%
Women +4.4%

17. The LTP sets no exciting vision for
cycling. This is buried in the draft
2015-2045 Infrastructure Strategy:
More people could be walking and cycling
in the future, both for exercise as part
of a healthy lifestyle and as an
inexpensive and convenient form of
transport. The popularity of the city’s
walkways and cycleways is likely to
continue and this network is likely to
continue to slowly expand and improve.

18. It should say something like:
Based on recent SportNZ data and
developments in innovative cities globally,
cycling will continue to grow and remain in
the top five recreational activities. PCC will
support this growth in demand through
proactive investment to improve the
connectivity and safety of the city’s cycling
routes.

19. MTB and Cycling supporting PCC’s
Strategic Priorities
The LTP contains 4 strategic priorities:
• Children and young people at the centre of city
decisions
• A growing, prosperous and regionally connected city
• A great village and city experience
• A healthy and protected harbour and catchment
The next slides outline how proactive development of
MTB and other cycling opportunities helps PCC and
the community deliver on these priorities.

20. Children and young people at the
centre of city decisions
• Get them off their screens!!! We need
more healthy, fun reasons for kids to get off
their screens and do physical activity with
their friends and families.
• You don’t have to own a bike to use planned
trails. Multi use for runners, walkers, other
sport cross-training.
• Create a greater number of active sports
people and champions (direct from LTP, MTB
is an Olympic sport)
• Creates a new venue for interschool events.
• Creates new education resource (Studying
PE, Adventure Management, Science,
related to riding and trail design.)
• Engaging Biodiversity work – (planting,
weeding, pest control)

21. A growing, prosperous and regionally
connected city
• $21m for in CBD enhancement is a start but it will change little unless
there are more compelling reasons to go to the city centre and there is
visible activity around it. Rangituhi Trail Park will create a vibrant visitor
and community attraction, connected to the CBD by the Raiha Walkway.
• Rod Drury (Xero) and Sam Morgan (TradeMe) have both stated that the
MTB trails on the edge of Wellington City are a key talent attractant for
their businesses. MCG is creating a new hook for Porirua businesses to
attract skilled workers and managers, especially those in
Kenepuru/Elsdon.
• Rangituhi Trail Park has the potential to be the single most valuable
project for the region in terms of positive external publicity. It is a game
changer.
• Cycleways are one of the city connections which need urgent
improvement.

22. A great village and city experience
• In addition to the above points…
• Rangituhi Trail Park will attract new events for the city. Port Nicholson
Poneke MTB has already scheduled a new event for spring 2015.
Wellington MTB Club wants to work with MCG to develop a national
standard downhill MTB host venue. Porirua Grand Traverse needs our
proposed trails through Porirua Scenic Reserve in order to survive.
• This will be New Zealand’s closest comprehensive MTB trail network to a
commuter rail station. We will see pre-license teenagers from throughout
the region bring their bikes on the train and ride through the city to the
trail park.
• Most of Porirua’s Village Plans propose improved cycleways and cycling
facilities. PCC needs to support more initiatives like the Titahi Bay bikes-
in-schools project. Wellington City Council is supporting several of these.

23. A healthy & protected harbour & catchment
• MCG is the main organisation engaging the community in re-establishing native
vegetation and improving the biodiversity in Colonial Knob Parklands. This will stabilise
slipping zones and improve vegetation cover.
• This will re-connect the Western Green Belt (Porirua and Colonial Knob Scenic Reserves
are not contiguous).
• Several existing walking trails in the scenic reserves are poorly built and run through
stream beds. These will be replaced or upgraded where possible.
• MTB Trails are built to strict sustainability guidelines to minimise erosion, maintenance
costs and siltation reaching the harbour.
Native planting, Colonial Knob Parklands
MCG coordinated
BNZ Closed-For-Good
volunteers to help
remove Tradescantia
weed from Colonial
Knob Scenic Reserve
with DOC.

24. Summing Up
1. Rangituhi Trail Park (MTB) will be a game changer
for Porirua. Recognise this in the LTP and resource
the partnership with MCG, DOC and Ngati Toa
adequately.
2. Set a bolder vision for much safer cycling
connections for commuting and recreation.
Develop a robust evidence-based strategy prioritise
investment, starting with connecting the CBD to
Paremata, Titahi Bay and Whitby.