By RNZ Gallery of RNZ

The Government will use $3.5 million from the International Visitor Levy to help restore fire-damaged parts of Tongariro National Park.

About 3000ha of the park was destroyed in two separate fires at the end of 2025.

Conservation Minister Tama Potaka said Tongariro was a taonga, and restoring its mauri was essential.

“Tongariro is a Dual World Heritage site, a taonga, and a cornerstone of the Ruapehu district economy. The fires have damaged biodiversity, disrupted recreation, and affected the livelihoods of families and businesses across Ruapehu district.”

The money, spent over five years, will go towards weed control, pest management, and biodiversity monitoring.

About 3,000 hectares was damaged in two separate fires in 2025. Photo / Mike Scott

“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.

Shortly after the first fire, a 10-year “restorative” rāhui was placed over the fire ground itself.

In November, the Department of Conservation said people could still walk on tracks.

The rāhui was not about keeping people out, but about restoring the spiritual, emotional, and physical wellbeing of Tongariro, DoC said.

A Maunga Ora programme between DoC and Ngāti Hikairo ki Tongariro would help restore the ground, based on science, tikanga, and mātauranga Māori.

-RNZ