12991106_168488101176232.jpg A bridge on the Otago Central Rail trail. PHOTO: NZ HERALDExtending the Otago Central Rail Trail towards Dunedin could bring millions of dollars of benefits to the city, it has been signalled. The Taieri Gorge trail for walking and cycling is not certain to proceed — principally because of reluctance to rip up railway tracks for such a venture — but the idea has been studied. Its potential value was explored by regional economist Benje Patterson for the Otago Central Rail Trail Trust, which was behind the successful conversion of a disused railway line into a walking and cycling trail between Clyde and Middlemarch. They include the prospect of Dunedin getting an uplift in spending from trail visitors of between $6.9 million and $11.4m if the trail is developed.

Source: New Zealand Herald November 05, 2023 16:38 UTC