$1 Million Boost for Tarawera and Ōkataina Track and Campground Upgrades

Conservation Minister Tama Potaka has announced $1 million from the International Visitor Conservation and Tourism Levy (IVL) to upgrade tracks and campgrounds around Tarawera and Ōkataina.

The investment will help reopen the Eastern Ōkataina Walkway and support upgrades across more than 22 kilometres of tracks and three campgrounds.

Tarawera and Ōkataina are some of Rotorua’s most iconic visitor destinations, attracting thousands of people every year and supporting local tourism and jobs, Mr Potaka says.

This funding will improve tracks, campgrounds, toilets, and visitor facilities, while also helping address safety and resilience issues following the 2021 rockfall event that closed the Eastern Ōkataina Walkway.

The upgrades will include work on the Eastern Ōkataina Walkway, Northern Tarawera Track, Tarawera Falls Track, Humphries Bay Campsite, and Te Tapahoro Campground.

Ngāti Rangitihi, Tūhourangi, Ngāti Tarāwhai, Ruawahia 2B Trust, and the Lake Ōkataina Scenic Reserve Board all play an important role in the future of this area and the experiences it offers visitors.

The project will also support wallaby control and wider biodiversity work across the area.

This announcement also shows why the Government is reforming conservation legislation.

The Conservation Amendment Bill currently before Parliament is about making it easier to deliver practical upgrades like this in the future.

For too long, outdated processes have slowed investment into tracks, huts, campgrounds, and visitor infrastructure on conservation land.

Our reforms will help cut unnecessary delays while maintaining strong environmental protections and reinvesting back into conservation.