Ruapehu mayor says Government response on Chateau ‘encouraging but cautious’

Ruapehu Mayor Weston Kirton says the Government’s response to council’s parliamentary petition to save the Chateau Tongariro Hotel is encouraging, but lacks ambition.

The Government has confirmed it will undertake a transparent, time-bound process to engage with iwi and potential investors about restoring and reopening the hotel.

Mayor Weston says that commitment reflects calls from the local community, iwi and the tourism sector for clarity on the Chateau’s future.

However, he remains concerned that demolition or decommissioning remain options under consideration.

“This is a $100 million-plus restoration project with significant economic potential, including jobs, training, regional growth and heritage protection,” Mayor Weston says. “With that level of opportunity, demolition should not be treated as a fallback position.”

He also questioned the Government’s indication that it is not proposing changes to policy or lease settings under existing conservation legislation, noting the ongoing review of the National Parks Act 1980 and Conservation Act 1987.

Mayor Weston says conservation law reform has been publicly framed as enabling appropriate economic activity on public conservation land, including tourism and infrastructure, and argues the Chateau restoration aligns with those objectives.

If the project proceeds under current legislative settings, he says the Crown should consider co-investment, pointing to other major heritage restorations that have received government support.

The Chateau Tongariro has been closed since 2023 and remains at the centre of debate over heritage protection, commercial viability and the future use of public conservation land.