Govt investment in Tongariro Chateau will cost - DOC

Any government investment in reviving the mothballed historic Tongariro Chateau will end up costing it financially according to advice from the Department of Conservation. A briefing paper to the Minister recommended shelving plans to find an investor, instead cabinet will decide what to do next. The deteriorating building, that is in urgent need of earthquake strengthening closed in February in 2023 and DOC's been spending about 2 million dollars a year maintaining it and the grounds. The DOC briefing documents put a figure on how much the government would need to spend to repair and strengthen the Chateau, but that number is blacked out. But it concludes the end result will be net negative value, Ruapehu District mayor Weston Kirton spoke to Lisa Owen.