The Waipa District Council's decision to put $1 million towards the Cambridge-based Home of Cycling Trust isn't prompting Bay of Plenty Regional Council chairman John Cronin to reach for his wallet.

'I think it's absolutely fabulous that the councils in the Waikato are supporting it,” says John.

'It's part of our Ten Year Plan considerations so we are looking at it.

'A possible obstacle for us in that funding is that the funds are to be spent outside our region, but we will have to look at it in a broader context.”

The Waipa District Council decision follows confirmation on September 14 of the keystone $6m investment from Waikato Regional Council, which resulted in Sport and Recreation New Zealand (SPARC) naming the Waikato Bay of Plenty Home of Cycling as the successful tenderer and putting up $7m.

'We have a lot of pressure on funds,” says John, who notes this makes it harder for the council to support it, despite him being able to see its value.

'Whether the value comes up in the ranking order we will have to wait and see.”

In May, cyclists and supporters across the central North Island deluged the regional council and Tauranga City Council with more than 800 submissions seeking $4 million from the Bay of Plenty for the $29.5 million Cambridge velodrome project.

The Waikato BOP Home of Cycling Trust proposal includes a velodrome at Cambridge built to Union Cycliste Internationale standards, the world acclaimed mountain bike trails at Whakarewarewa Forest in Rotorua, a new BMX track at Cambridge and access to roads with low traffic volumes for road cycling.

'We haven't been asked to fund or had any submissions to fund mountain biking or anything at Rotorua,” says John.

'We've just been asked to fund in generic terms.

'We haven't been asked for anything that is specific in our region, though they say that there is an intent – that is not in their application.”

The National Cycling Centre of Excellence is expected to open by late-2013.