More than 250 hectares of weed control has been carried out and 91 deer removed from Tongariro National Park since fires destroyed thousands of hectares of alpine ecosystems late last year. The major recovery effort is targeting weeds and introduced browsers such as deer and hares.
A $405,000 Government investment will help fill a critical gap in visitor facilities on the Mountains to Sea – Ngā Ara Tūhono Great Ride, with public toilets among the features planned for a new hub at Horopito.
A new land and housing deal between the New Zealand Defence Force and central North Island iwi Ngāti Rangi will see 50 homes built for military families at Waiouru.
Ruapehu Mayor Weston Kirton says National’s decision to rule out a bed tax leaves tourism-heavy districts without a fair way to pay for the costs created by visitors.
Spotting the shy, threatened whio in the Tongariro region’s fast-flowing rivers has become easier after a trial using thermal drones detected birds where rangers had never been able to survey before.
