Many huts illegally built in the Tongariro Forest Conservation Area provide important shelter for hunters, fishers, hikers and mountain bikers
A MYSTERY complainant is said to be behind the Department of Conservation decision to demolish about 40 huts in the Tongariro Forest Conservation Area.
Many of the huts are located along the 42nd Traverse, a 46-kilometre multi-use track running through the forest, where they provide important shelter for hunters, fishers, hikers and mountain bikers.
The King Country News has learned from a reliable source that DOC’s current policy of putting demolition notices in the huts and seizing property from them, was launched following a single complaint.
It is unclear who, or which group, would have the clout to instigate the unpopular operation, which has suffered a backlash from many groups who use the huts.
A Youtube video protesting demolition of these structures has had 83,000 views and climbing, plus more than 1000 comments overwhelmingly condemning the move by DOC.
The video points out that many of the huts are well built, regularly used and that they increase safety in the forest.
This response, replicated on social media and feedback to this newspaper, looks like a PR disaster for DOC, which has had to suspend its hut removal programme. This will be for an indefinite period while it “meets with interested parties”.
Arbitrary removal of 40 huts from the Tongariro Forest also seems out of step with National’s collaborative approach to the maintenance of New Zealand’s 900 back country huts.
Information published by the Government’s new Ministry for Hunting and Fishing, headed up by Todd McClay, says Kiwis should have access to well-maintained huts, and that this will need support from the public.
“To take some of the burden off DOC staff and budgets, volunteers from Back Country trust, Federated Mountain Clubs, New Zealand Deer Stalkers Association branches and fishing and alpine clubs should be able to help with hut maintenance,” says National’s plan for Hunting and Fishing.
The King Country News has approached Todd McLay to comment on the proposed hut removal in the Tongariro Forest.
Meanwhile, the argument of outdoors advocate and libertarian Andy Harland that the huts are “doing no harm and therefore should therefore be left alone”, has been refuted by DOC’s regional director of operations for the Central North Island, Damian Coutts, whose press release outlined a range of dangers they posed.
Damian said some of the huts had dangerous gas fittings, poor sanitation and had rubbish strewn around them, but the King Country News has been unable to find any photographic evidence to support this.
We must take Damian at his word, but some of his claims, such as that the huts had been used for illegal storage of firearms and ammunition deserve further explanation, as it seems to be based on a single incident of a hunter leaving a firearm in one of the huts. It is also unclear whether any fires have resulted from gas fittings in huts. Damian is not returning our calls.
If we were allowed to speak to him, we would essentially ask “why now”, when some of them had been there for decades. Also, what his budget to demolish the structures and carry materials out of the forest will be, as some are located well away from tracks and could require a helicopter to take out demolished materials. This seems significant in the current environment with cost saving is the fore.
We received a statement from DOC, which said removal of illegal structures from Tongariro Conservation Area had been ongoing since 2020, with 12 removed to date.
However, several King Country hunters said notices warning the huts would be demolished within 28 days, and that property within them would be seized, only began appearing late last year.
“While this (removing illegal huts) is business as usual, the most recently planned removals have been paused as we reach out to impacted groups,” DOC said.
“The Department of Conservation would like to reiterate that buildings and structures on public conservation land are illegal without permission . . . DOC has an existing process for applications for consented, public structures where these are a legitimate need.
“A number of items have been removed from illegal structures in Tongariro Conservation Area. These items have been variously identified as fire hazards, as building supplies to continue illegal construction, items to illegally chop firewood, as well as generally supporting the ongoing use of illegal structures.
“DOC has been unable to identify owners of the seized property, however signage has been left at all locations encouraging owners to come forward to claim their belongings. If unclaimed, items will be responsibly disposed of in accordance with the Search and Surveillance Act 2012.
“The Department of Conservation invites owners of seized items to come forward and discuss their return, and the reasons for their removal from public land.”
But hunters spoken to by the King Country News have been unwilling to approach DOC for their belongings – which includes knives, slashers and stoves – and at least one who did so was told the items had already been disposed of.
Finally, the activity has apparently become a bone of contention between DOC managers and officers who work on the ground, with some of the latter said to be unhappy, or even unwilling, to enforce the hut removal.
