Pathway to prosperity: Te Araroa Trail’s $3m potential for Mid Canterbury
By local democracy reporter Jonathan Leask:
Getting more boots on the ground could be worth about $3 million annually for the Ashburton District.
An economic analysis report revealed the potential for a significant financial boost for Mid Canterbury from the Te Araroa Trail, particularly benefiting the Methven area.
The report suggests that elevating the trail's profile could increase its economic impact, making it a valuable asset for local tourism and the wider community.
Te Araroa is New Zealand's long-distance tramping route, stretching around 3000km from Cape Reinga to Bluff.
In Mid Canterbury the Te Araroa trail crosses the district between Rakaia and Rangitata Rivers, creating a natural barrier that requires people to detour using roads to reconnect to the trail at either end of the district.
The result is trail walkers are forced out of the foothills to cross the rivers by road, presenting an opportunity for Mid Canterbury, specifically Methven, to capture the walkers looking to resupply or rest for a night.
The $22,000 report, co-funded evenly by the Ashburton District Council and the Te Araroa Trust, found that the existing 4000 Te Araroa hikers in the 2022-23 season spent $515,400 a year in Methven.
It’s estimated making improvements to the trail and increased marketing could bring in around $3 million annually to the district.
The Te Araroa Trust was interested in making the isolated Rakaia to Rangitata section more accessible for trail walkers and also cater to people not interested in or able to walk the full route.
The trust came up with the concept of a Te Araroa Iti (small piece), which if developed could increase the value to the local economy.
The Te Araroa Trust will need to invest in infrastructure along the track including huts, toilets and track maintenance to help improve the appeal of the bite-size walk.
Economic development manager Simon Worthington said the council has “leaned in to help the Trust understand the opportunity”.
Now it’s up to the council to “walk alongside them, helping them to engage with local groups… but not for us as council to put any investment into that”.
If the trust decided to proceed with developing the smaller trail, there was an opportunity for the council to support that through better promotion he said.
The trust was contacted for comment.
Poll: Should we be giving the green light to new mining projects? 💰🌲
The Environmental Protection Authority announced this week that a proposed mine in Central Otago (near Cromwell) is about to enter its fast-track assessment process. A final decision could come within six months, and if it’s approved, construction might start as early as mid-2026.
We want to know: Should mining projects like this move ahead?
Keen to dig deeper? Mike White has the scoop.
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53.4% Yes
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46.6% No
A riddle to start the festive season 🌲🎁🌟
I'm a fruit. If you take away my first letter, I'm a crime. If you take away my first two letters, I'm an animal. If you take away my first and last letter, I'm a form of music. What am I?
Do you think you know the answer? Simply 'Like' this post if you know the answer and the big reveal will be posted in the comments at 2pm on the day!
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Head here and hover on the Following button on the top right of the page (and it will show Unfollow) and then click it. If it is giving you the option to Follow, then you've successfully unfollowed the Riddles page.
‘Tis the season to not get scammed ...
As Christmas gift shopping moves increasingly online, scammers are ramping up their activity across the country.
Dunedin’s Investigation Support Unit is seeing more and more people fall victim to scams and other fraudulent activity, particularly on Facebook Marketplace.
There are a few ways to avoid the scams and keep yourself safe doing online trades this holiday season, says Southern District Service Delivery Manager Senior Sergeant Dalton.
🔒 “A good first step when looking to purchase something on Marketplace is to check when the seller’s Facebook profile was created. If it’s very recent, there is a higher risk that they have just created this account for a one-off fake item.”
🔒 Another important step is to make sure the seller’s profile name and bank account name match up. “We’re seeing a lot of scammers claiming their bank account name is different because it belongs to their partner or family member - that’s a huge red flag."
🔒 “When you’re selling, never trust a screenshot anyone sends you showing that payment has been made. Check your own bank account to make sure a payment has gone through."
🔒 “Quite frankly, it’s best for all parties to agree to pay, or be paid, for items in cash and in-person. Ideally in a public place with CCTV coverage."
🔒 "If you’re buying a car, check Carjam.co.nz to see if it’s stolen or if there’s money owed on it.”
A reminder: Suspicious activity can be reported on 105
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