The Dunedin City Council has given a cash injection to the trust pushing to reopen the Chain Hills tunnel to walkers and cyclists. Dunedin Tunnels Trust chairman Gerard Hyland said the council had agreed to donate $57,000 to the project, pushing the trust close to its goal with less than a week to go until deadline day. The money came from an earlier project fund, established by the council years ago, to investigate the project's feasibility, he said. The trust had quickly secured the loans it needed, helped by a series of $50,000 contributions, but donations had lagged well behind until this week. Mr Hyland said the cash injection also meant an earlier decision to auction naming rights for the tunnel portals was now on hold, while the trust focused on selling supporter plaques.

Source: Otago Daily Times April 21, 2017 19:18 UTC