After considering your feedback from the May-June 2025 consultation, along with officers’ recommendations, on 28 August at the Regulatory Processes Committee, Councillors approved the development of four new tracks and the walking-only status of an existing tramping track at Crofton Downs, as shown in the map below. Development of the new tracks is subject to meeting the Council’s track design and environmental impact assessment requirements, for example, making sure tracks avoid sensitive habitats.

• See the minutes of the 28 August 2025 committee meeting
• The committee paper and attachments can be found on pages 1,189 - 1,348 in the committee agenda

The next steps are:

• Tramping track: Install onsite signage and amend online information to confirm walking-only use.
• Track 4 and stage 1 of Track 3: Detailed track design, assessment and consenting undertaken by the Council and consultants during 2025-2026 financial year. Provided track construction and ecological impact standards are met, WCC will support volunteers with track development, starting with Track 4, and then with Track 3 as budget allows.
• Tracks 1, 2 and stage 2 of track 3: Timing of this work depends on access being secured across future reserve land that will come from the Silverstream subdivision (shown on the map as a brown area, 'Future reserve land'). Then, detailed track design, assessment and consenting will be carried out – provided the construction and ecological impact standards are met, WCC will support volunteers with track development, with timing subject to budget priorities as the work progresses.

Trails Wellington and Korimako Track Builders are proposing new mountain biking and walking trails in the Wellington Outer Green Belt above the suburb of Crofton Downs. The proposed trails would be on the eastern side of Te Wharangi Ridge, linking up to the Skyline Track that runs along the ridgetop.

The proposal is for four new tracks:

• Tracks 1 and 2: Grade 5/6 descending bike-priority trails suitable for expert and extreme trail riders
• Track 3: A shared dual direction walking/biking trail, suitable for easy walking and grade 2 biking
• Track 4: Grade 4 descending bike-priority trail suitable for advanced trail riders

An existing informal tramping track close to track 4 will become walking-only.

Following preliminary engagement on the initial proposal in October 2024, the proposal was revised, and the public were consulted on the revised proposal in May to June 2025. You can see more about this process in the documents below.

Throughout this process, it has been important to consider the needs of all trail users in the nearby suburbs and wider community, and how the proposed trails might provide a fun recreational opportunity while balancing the impact on the environment, and the needs of other users of the area.