7 December 2018

Lansdowne may become home to a mountain biking park with the Masterton District Council resolving to provide land within its recreation trail network.

Council has agreed to a section of land between Titoki and Fifth Streets being earmarked for the mountain biking development.

Community and Facilities Manager Andrea Jackson said the mountain biking park was a great opportunity to extend Masterton’s recreation trail networks.

“We have up to 400 people using our tracks every day, many of them on bikes. The location is perfect for people travelling through the network already and will give them another recreation opportunity,” Ms Jackson said.

“The park is intended for entry-level mountain bike riders and children and will enable them to safely develop mountain biking skills.”

The project is being led by a group of community members, including the Lansdowne Residents Association, with fundraising due to begin shortly.

Council initially supported development of a mountain bike park on land between Kitchener and Gordon Streets. It has now opted to explore the sale of the 26.4 hectares of land.

Chief Executive Kath Ross said Council receives regular interest in the land from potential purchasers and it was keen to explore the sale with benefits for ratepayers in mind.

“Realising the value of this section of land now could enable Council to offset the costs of some of our key projects,” Ms Ross said.

“The land is a mix of urban and rural land; given the current tight housing supply it is a good opportunity to support the construction of additional housing in Masterton.”

Interested parties will need to submit a concept development plan with their tender that would indicate how the site could be developed.