Pages

Tuesday, July 22, 2025

David Farrar: Let Ruapehu fall


Newsroom reports:

New Pure Tūroa Ltd chief executive Jono Dean has written to ministry officials seeking their assistance, after iwi on both the north and south sides of the mountain lodged High Court challenges to the company’s concession to operate a private business in the national park. …

Newsroom asked Dean about his letter to officials saying the court action jeopardises the company’s viability. “I think blind Freddie could figure that out,” he replies, “that a judicial review that attacks the licence process that the Crown undertook is a concern.”

The answer is not more taxpayer cash. Frankly if the local iwi want to destroy the biggest source of employment and income for their local whanau, then let them wear the consequences of that. If they want to restore Ruapehu to a mountain that people look at, rather than use – let them.

It would mean the loss of around 5,000 jobs in the Ruapehu area. 40% of the population are Māori so the iwi would actually be destroying around 2,000 jobs for their whanau. But that is a consequence of their decision to oppose the concessions.

David Farrar runs Curia Market Research, a specialist opinion polling and research agency, and the popular Kiwiblog where this article was sourced. He previously worked in the Parliament for eight years, serving two National Party Prime Ministers and three Opposition Leaders

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

I think the reason iwi are going to court is because they want the sking business for themselves, particularly because it will be a good source of corporate welfare. It is like Ngai Tahu taking over the whale watch business, despite knowing nothing about whales or driving boats.