The Government will put $3.5 million into restoring more than 3,000 hectares of Tongariro National Park burned in two major fires last year.

Conservation Minister Tama Potaka said the money, drawn from the International Visitor Levy, will be spent over five years on weed control, pest management and biodiversity monitoring. Ngāti Hikairo ki Tongariro will work alongside the Department of Conservation to deliver the Maunga Ora restoration plan, which the Minister said is grounded in science, tikanga and mātauranga Māori.

“Recovery is already visible, with native plants pushing through the charred ground. But without sustained weed control and pest management, including managing deer, that regeneration will be at risk,” Potaka said.

The fires, which damaged biodiversity and disrupted recreation across the Ruapehu District, burned an area of more than 30 square kilometres. The Government says the investment is intended to support both ecological recovery and the local economy that depends on the park.

At $3.5m across five years, the package equates to roughly $1,150 per hectare over the life of the programme. The announcement did not include a detailed breakdown of which areas will be prioritised first or timelines for specific works beyond the five-year window.

Potaka acknowledged the role of Ngāti Hikairo ki Tongariro, DOC staff and local communities who have been working on the ground since the fires, and framed the move as returning visitor revenue to the places that generate it through the IVL.

Photos supplied with the announcement can be published.