Ruapehu District Council’s Parliamentary Petition to Save the Château, which gathered 15,469 signatures will be formally handed to Rangitīkei Member of Parliament Suze Redmayne on the steps of Parliament at 12 noon today (Tuesday, September 16) by Mayor Weston Kirton.
The petition will then be presented by Redmayne and Wanganui MP Karl Bates to the House on Wednesday.
The hotel has sat empty and in increasing disrepair since closing in February 2023, when hotel operator Kah New Zealand quit its lease. The departure came after the hotel received an E grade seismic assessment - which puts the earthquake risk at 25 times greater than expected for a new build.
Mayor Kirton said the response reflects the depth of public feeling for one of New Zealand’s most iconic heritage buildings and its importance to the national tourism economy.
“The level of public support shows how much the Château means to New Zealanders - as an architectural treasure, a cornerstone of our tourism story, and a vital driver of regional growth.”
He noted that before its closure the Château generated around $10 million a year in direct economic benefit, provided dozens of local jobs and training opportunities, and represented one-third of all high-end accommodation in the Ruapehu district.
Its restoration, he said, would revive those benefits and create new ones.
In a briefing paper last year, the Department of Conservation said it was costing the department $1.8 million to maintain the abandoned building to a basic level in 2023/2024 and it had budgeted $2.1 million in 2024/2025 for the same purpose.
But Mayor Kirton said: “Credible private investors are ready to restore the Chateau and revitalise the wider Whakapapa Village.
“This project will create employment and training pathways, attract higher-spending visitors, strengthen businesses throughout the central North Island, and celebrate our unique cultural heritage.
“It aligns perfectly with government goals for regional development, high-value tourism, and heritage preservation - and it may not require any taxpayer funding.”
Redmayne said the petition would form “part of the wider picture” which the government would look at in terms of the impact and desire to fix the Château.
“I truly believe it's one of the most iconic buildings in New Zealand and one of the most recognised buildings… it's a grand old lady with a proud history and I think a promising future so I'm very happy to do whatever I can to support the petition.”
While she couldn’t give a date by which any decision might be forthcoming, Redmayne felt the petition would put the issue back on the radar.
“The expressions of interest process is finished and then I guess it's just a matter of working with other interested parties and groups to get something to happen as soon as possible,” she said.
Kirton called on the government to seize the opportunity.
“We now need clear leadership from government to remove any regulatory or other barriers and provide a pathway for investors to move quickly,” he said.
“This is a low-risk, high-reward project that will safeguard an irreplaceable national treasure and deliver lasting benefits for Ruapehu and for all of Aotearoa,” Mayor Kirton said.
While Redmayne acknowledged the earlier a solution was found the better, for the sake of the deteriorating hotel, there were a number of issues to work through.
“You can't underestimate the sort of other considerations in terms of iwi and the community but … I hope we find a solution that everyone's happy with and can work with.
“Which is essentially why you can't rush these things because it's really important that we do it properly so that we come to a long-term sustainable decision for the Château and for the Tongariro National Park.”
Estimates vary on how much it would cost to repair and earthquake strengthen the 96 year old building which is listed by Heritage New Zealand as a Category 1 historic place – with speculation ranging from $100-$200 million.
A 2023 report commissioned by DOC identified about $5.4 million needed for urgent repairs but Minister of Conservation Tama Potaka has said that specific cost estimates for full restoration are not available for public release.
