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The Government is investing in upgrades across the Tarawera and Lake Ōkataina area, with work planned on more than 22 kilometres of tracks and three campgrounds.
The investment will support the reopening of the Eastern Ōkataina Walkway, which closed following a 2021 rockfall event, alongside wider improvements to visitor infrastructure.
Conservation Minister Tama Potaka says the destinations remain important tourism and recreation assets for the Rotorua region.
“Tarawera and Ōkataina are some of Rotorua’s most iconic visitor destinations, attracting thousands of people every year and supporting local tourism and jobs,” Potaka says.
Track and campground upgrades planned
The project includes upgrades to:
Eastern Ōkataina Walkway
Northern Tarawera Track
Tarawera Falls Track
Humphries Bay Campsite
Te Tapahoro Campground
The work will include improvements to tracks, toilets, campgrounds and other visitor facilities, alongside resilience and safety upgrades.
Potaka says iwi and local organisations will continue playing an important role in the future of the area.
“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.”
Biodiversity and conservation focus
The project will also include wallaby control and wider biodiversity work across the area.
Potaka says the investment reflects the Government’s wider conservation reform programme currently before Parliament through the Conservation Amendment Bill.
“The Conservation Amendment Bill currently before Parliament is about making it easier to deliver practical upgrades like this in the future,” he says.
“For too long, outdated processes have slowed investment into tracks, huts, campgrounds, and visitor infrastructure on conservation land.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.”
