The MTB Trails Trust has been formed to advance the management, development and maintenance of the mountainbike trail network in the Top of the South Island to a more professional level.

Trustees are Chris Mildon, Andrew Spittal, Rob Kay, Gary Donaldson, Malcolm Edridge and Alan Eskrick.

One of the Trust’s aims is to fund a full time trail crew who will be charged firstly with maintaining existing trails, identifying opportunities for new trails and thirdly developing new trails for all levels of riders. Trails will be mostly multi-use and open to other users. This shift in focus will ensure consistency and adherence to correct operating procedures and access conditions to minimise the load on Land Managers, and also to minimise user conflict. 

The last four years has seen a rapid increase in the popularity of mountainbiking through all user groups. Recent figures from Nelson’s Great Taste Trail show over 10,000 riders have used the trail in the short time it has been open. On the more difficult Dun Mountain Trail over 500 riders used the trail in one week over the Christmas period. At the Codgers MTB Park riders can be found riding there at all times of the day and night, with the blossoming Richmond Hill trail network also booming with its free and open access, and over 45,000 riders have ridden the Kaiteriteri MTB Park since it opened.

Core Philosophies
Those values important to the Trust: 

• Community focused, environmentally sustainable and low impact approach to all Trust endeavours 
• Open engagement with land access partners and the MTB community 
• Free access to all trails where possible and appropriate 
• An International Mountainbike Association based approach to all trail development projects i.e. a sustainable design and build process will be used for all projects the Trust is involved with, including principal trail build leaders and contractors undergoing appropriate training and up-skilling in build sustainability 
• A professional approach to project management. Removing the load on council and DOC staff to drive public land projects through this approach 
• No reliance of any kind on gambling based funding organisations for funding