I love that Nelson is one of the best places in the world to live an active, healthy life and recent developments enhance the opportunities to do so.
This week, an additional section of the Great Taste cycleway is to open through the Nelson Golf Course. This off-road stretch between Tāhunanui and Stoke meanders around the greens from Awatea Place to Bolt Road. The community owes a thank-you to the golf club for facilitating this access.
We are also making progress on lighting the main Railway Reserve. The section from Victory to Bishopdale was lit over winter and last week, work started on the next section to my neighbourhood of Annesbrook. Expect some disruption and bypasses over the next few weeks. Our ambition is to have the lighting completed to Saxton by next winter.
These improvements enhance the opportunities to cycle and walk for recreation and commuting. Cycling and walking is more enjoyable and safer separated from busy road traffic.
It is also great news that the Heaphy Track reopened last week after being closed due to storm damage in February 2022. I have a long association with this track from my days as the MP for Tasman, successfully advocating for the creation of Kahurangi National Park. I was involved as Minister of Conservation in opening the Heaphy Track to mountain bikers and worked with Air NZ then-CEO Chris Luxon in partnership with DOC to return takahē to the park. The Heaphy is NZ’s greatest track. It is a must-do experience and a huge asset for our visitor industry.
I have been frustrated for communities such as Karamea and Collingwood over how long it has taken to repair the bridges and restore this iconic track. These small communities’ tourism sectors have taken a hammering with this 20-month closure following two years of Covid disruptions. DOC has done a great job on the repairs, making the route more resilient. Now it has reopened, we need to help them recover.
Nelson has been rated the most active region in NZ. Let’s keep that up by getting out and enjoying the wonderful tracks in our city and region, and soaking up the great outdoors, which is so varied and spectacular in this special corner of NZ.
