Dorset councillors at their meeting on Monday unanimously passed a Rotary Club of Scottsdale proposal to link the existing part of Rail Trail with Scottsdale.
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But champagne corks will not be popping for at least 14 days, because three parties objected to the development have until the beginning of September to lodge an appeal against the decision.
Councillor Peter Partridge moved the motion to approve the Scottsdale to Tonganah section saying it would provide ``another opportunity to showcase the north-east''.
``If (visitors) like it when they come here, some of them might stay,'' he said.
``It also gives us that continuity of link between Scottsdale and where the Rail Trail starts at the moment - I think that's a particular advantage for some of the younger people in the area who want to ride their bikes.
``I don't think mum and day will let them ride down the Tasman Highway to Tonganah to ride the trail.''
Key concerns included possible undermining of landholder privacy and security, possible safety issues for users, upsetting domestic pets, possible food waste and anti-social behaviour.
But town planner Rohan Willis said that there was either no provision in, or no relevance to, the planning assessment process in most of the concerns raised.
Cr Jeff Jennings said he was ``frustrated'' by a planning scheme that did not deem legitimate concerns relevant.
Others expressed sympathy for landholders’ loss of privacy and asked if it would be possible for the proponent to build fences to shield landowners from the trail.
But general manager Tim Watson said that it set a dangerous precedent.
‘‘If Rotary replaced some fencing, it would set a precedent for the whole of the Rail Trail corridor ... there is a significant cost in doing that . . . I would caution councillors about going down that path,’’ he said.
The trail already exists between Tonganah and Snake Track, near Legerwood and the club has long wanted the Rail Trail to start at Scottsdale.
The club's Robin Thompson addressed councillors in the time allowed for public submissions and said that similar concerns elsewhere about potential problems with proposed rail trails had proved unfounded.
He said that research into a trail in New Zealand, showed those who used the trail spent $350 a day each and the development had led to 200 local jobs.