The Government has announced $6 million for upgrades to Hauraki Gulf island infrastructure — part of what Conservation Minister Tama Potaka calls “the biggest step in a generation to restore the Hauraki Gulf / te Pātaka kai a Tīkapa Moana / Te Moananui-ā-Toi.”
The money, drawn from the International Visitor Conservation and Tourism Levy (IVL), will fund safer wharves, better walking tracks, and improved water systems on Rangitoto, Tiritiri Matangi and Kawau Islands.
“These islands welcome more than 150,000 visitors each year,” Mr Potaka said. “Safer wharves, better walking tracks, and improved water systems will make it easier for families, schools, and tour operators to enjoy these special places, and ensure visitors leave them better than they found them.”
He said the investment supports tourism, hospitality and recreation jobs across Tāmaki Makaurau, Mahurangi and the Coromandel, adding: “When the Gulf is healthy, so are our people and our economy.”
The $6 million upgrade forms part of a wider $26 million public-private package announced alongside the Hauraki Gulf / Tīkapa Moana Marine Protection Act, which establishes 19 new protected areas and aims to rejuvenate reefs, kelp forests and marine life.
“The Gulf adds over $5 billion of value to the country every year — it makes sense to invest here,” Mr Potaka said.
In the last two years, $8.5 million of IVL funding has also gone into projects at other Hauraki Gulf destinations including Cathedral Cove and Goat Island, with a further $1.5 million directed toward weed control on pest-free islands.
“When the Gulf thrives, our people thrive — it’s that simple,” the Minister said.
