Funds available for upgrade and maintenance of MTB tracks on public conservation land

Funds available for upgrade and maintenance of MTB tracks on public conservation land

Over the past few years one of the many things Trail Fund has done has been to partner with Federated Mountain Clubs and the New Zealand Deerstalkers Association to distribute funding for backcountry projects via the Outdoor Recreation Consortium (OCR).

Through that partnership we have helped distribute funding in support of volunteers all around New Zealand who have maintained and upgraded tracks and huts on public conservation land (aka DoC land).

This has been one of many projects that Trail Fund NZ has been involved with, and for the mountain-bike community it has resulted in some great outcomes including:

  • Work on the Wharfedale Track in North Canterbury (North Canterbury Cycling Club)
  • Supporting volunteer work parties on the Old Ghost Road on the West Coast (Mohikinui-Lyell Backcountry Trust)
  • Work on the Missing Link project above Queenstown (Queenstown MTB Club)
  • Maintenance of the Craigieburn Trail network in Canterbury (CastleHill Community Association)
  • Maintenance of the Te Iringa track in the central North Island (Bike Taupo/Hawkes Bay MTB Club)

In an exciting development the three partner organisations recently agreed to set up the Backcountry Trust in order to create a more permanent structure that will have opportunities to secure additional funding streams. 

Trail Fund will have two out of the six trustees on this new organisation board. We think there are a lot of opportunities for mountain bikers to adopt tracks and even huts, and to collaborate with other outdoor recreation groups in their areas. We’ll be updating you on this process as it develops over the coming months.

Trail Fund NZ will continue to fund volunteer-led mountain bike projects through New Zealand via our General Fund as we always have. That fund is supported by riders like you and our awesome sponsors and we accept applications from any eligible project around New Zealand on land that provides reasonable public access. 

In the meantime we have one more round to do under the old Outdoor Recreation Consortium structure before the Backcountry Trust kicks off. The application forms and guidelines are hosted on the Outdoor Recreation Consortium page HERE  – make sure you fill in the MTB application form.

Grant requirements:

  • Grants are up to $10,000, GST inclusive
  • Funding is for upgrading and maintaining mountain bike accessible tracks
  • Tracks must be on public conservation land
  • Groups must have permission from their local Department of Conservation land manager
  • Trail Fund CAN consider applications involving use of contractors; however, the project must volunteer-led and have a significant volunteer component.

Get in touch with Nessa at grants@trailfund.org.nz with any questions.