Fiordland Trails Trust Seeks Council Support for Future Development

• Fiordland Trails Trust seeks financial support from the Southland District Council.
• The trust maintains two popular trails: Upukerora Trail and Lake2Lake Trail.
• The Lake2Lake Trail generated over $3 million for the local economy in 2023.

The Fiordland Trails Trust is advocating for financial support from the Southland District Council, challenging the fairness of the council’s decision-making process. Over the last eight years, the trust has developed the Upukerora Trail, which circles Te Anau, and the Lake2Lake Trail, linking Manapouri with Te Anau.

However, the trust has achieved this with limited involvement from the council. Trust chair David Boniface noted that significant funding had been directed towards the 186km Around The Mountain trail from Kingston to Walter Peak. Boniface argued, “Our trail is just as important to Southland as the Around The Mountain, and we find ourselves as professional fundraisers, essentially, to keep ourselves developing and maintaining.” He stressed the need for more assistance, expressing concerns about the trust’s long-term financial stability.

A 2023 report by Angus and Associates highlighted the trail’s economic impact, with the Lake2Lake Trail alone contributing over $3 million in a year. The trail’s popularity is growing, with more than 44,000 passes at its busiest point in 2023, and the first half of this year already reaching 94 percent of last year’s total.

Following the hearing, Boniface shared that the trust had received substantial support during the initial eight years of trail development. Contributions came from various sources, including Meridian, the community board, Southland District Council, and Jobs for Nature. Fundraising efforts also included an annual half marathon. However, for the future, ongoing support is essential to secure the trust’s operations.

“The issue is, going forward, we need to underpin our maintenance and operations costs, so we can maintain what we’ve got,” Boniface said. The maintenance cost is about $1000 per kilometre annually. The Lake2Lake Trail, the longer of the two, spans 28.5km, including a road section, while the Upukerora Trail is 7km long, recently extended with a new Patience Bay section.

Despite presenting their case to the district council multiple times without success, the trust is making another attempt this year. Boniface concluded, “We think we’re a pretty damn good investment.”