Cash injection welcome, but Sanctuary Mountain Maungatautari still ‘chasing the gap’

Wednesday, 26 February 2025

Sanctuary Mountain Maungatautari is hoping new tourism offerings will allow it to ‘stand on its own feet’ in coming years.

Waikato’s predator-free mainland sanctuary Maungatautari says a recent cash injection is a “welcome contribution”, but they’re still “chasing the gap” of a half a million funding shortfall.

Conservation Minister Tama Potaka announced a one-off boost of $750,000 for the Maungatautari Ecological Island Trust Sanctuary, saying it was a popular tourist destination and home to many native species.

Its chief executive, Helen Hughes, felt like she “breathed for the first time in 12 months when the word on the street was that this might be coming our way,” she said.

Chief executive Helen Hughes says the tourism levy funding is ‘huge’ for the sanctuary.

The sanctuary announced it was in a “cash crisis” last year, with a half a million shortfall after the end of the Jobs for Nature programme and funding. The cash injection will make up half of the funding shortfall, it says.

The funding is a “welcome contribution” and will help “bridge the gap”, Hughes said.

It will be given to the sanctuary over the next three years to support its biodiversity, conservation, and translocation work, and comes from the International Visitor Levy (IVL).

One of the flagship species of the sanctuary, the kākāpō keep sanctuary staff busy.

Hughes says the funding means they may be able to boost their staffing again, after the scaling back from 14 to seven staff last year.

While it’s a relief, Hughes says the sanctuary is still “chasing the other half” of the funding it needs.

Hughes says she’s grateful for the community raising awareness about the maunga’s funding crisis, but her aspiration is for the sanctuary to “stand on its own feet” within the next four to five years with more tourism offerings.

“The direction we're heading is to make this a conservation destination for New Zealanders and international visitors.”

“We want New Zealanders to come and actually see what we do.”

The sanctuary has already begun offering paid experiences such as their kiwi experience tour, where visitors get to see a live kiwi and learn about kiwi conservation.

Hughes says the experience has proved popular so far, and they’re close to booked out with only nine spaces left.

The “synergy” of conservation and overseas tourism and the use of the IVL to fund conservation projects like the sanctuary “makes perfect sense”, said Hughes.

“We are globally recognised as a destination of beauty, and I think for that levy to go into funding that kind of conservation tourism space makes really good sense to me.”