Four community groups that look after popular walking and mountainbiking tracks in the Ashburton district have been granted $9600 to help maintain and improve their tracks.

Ashburton District Council granted the money as part of its work administering a $100,000 donation last year to repair and maintain walking, hiking, cycling and mountain bike trails. The money is to be used over a 10-year period.

A condition of the grant is that tracks must be publicly accessible and that the groups maintaining them must be run by volunteers. Groups can apply on an annual basis for things like retaining materials, tools, equipment fire and contractors.

Recipients this year:

Mountain Bike Ashburton $3000
The group maintains 11km of mountain bike track, 3km of walkway and a skills park near the Ashburton River. It will use the money to move water off track surfaces, prevent excess weed growth, remediate any potentially dangerous areas and help native plants get ahead of weeds.

Mt Somers Walkway Society $2500
The society will resurface and level a 120m boardwalk called the Corduroy, which is part of the Bus Stop track on Mt Somers. The boardwalk is made up of 600mm long, half round posts laid crosswise in very boggy terrain, flat side up, to make the track more user-friendly.
Many thousands of people walk the tracks in the Mt Somers area, boosting tourism in the area. The society is also reinstating a walk to Sharplin Falls.

Methven Lions Club $3000
The club will lay lime chip on part of the Methven Walkway track, on Mt Harding Road. It is part of work to renovate and resurface the walkway to make it usable in all conditions, and for not only walkers and cyclists, but for wheelchairs, pushchairs and mobility scooters.

Ashburton Lions Club $1100
The club will use the money to fill holes and grade a section of the Lake Hood river track between Milton Road and Cochranes Road. The work will include rolling the track, which will make it safer and more enjoyable for all the different users.