4 November 2009

Pukekohe’s BNZ has joined forces with Franklin District Council to develop a mountain biking track on Pukekohe Hill.

As part of the bank’s annual ‘Closed for Good’ volunteer day on November 4 – the bank will close for the day and all employees volunteer their time to work on a community project. Franklin District Council is the lucky recipient of 14 staff member’s time to work on the track.

Franklin District Council’s Unit Manager Parks and Reserves Greg Lowe says, “It’s fantastic that this local bank is donating their time to work in the community. We’re very pleased they’ve chosen to help us develop this important track – which will prove to be an invaluable community asset in future. We have many mountain bikers in the area who will benefit from it. The gradient of the hill will make it a good challenging ride for beginner to intermediate riders – while the views are fantastic.”

The volunteers will work in conjunction with Franklin District Council on track construction and painting a viewing platform.

BNZ Pukekohe Store Manager David Denny says, “The Bank-wide objective of Closed for Good is about extending our involvement in the community to make them better off. In Pukekohe, we think this is a great chance for us to get out and support a local initiative. We’re all passionate about this project as it will provide a convenient place locally for people to keep active.”

Franklin District Council is working with Franklin Mountain Biking Club on developing more challenging sections of track in future.

Work on the track is part of ongoing work by Franklin District Council on Pukekohe Hill to make it more accessible for users and to tighten security against random acts of vandalism.