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Whanganui National Park Management Plan 2012-2022 (PDF, 3,315K)

Summary

The Tongariro Whanganui Taranaki Conservancy of the Department of Conservation prepared this Management Plan in consultation with representatives from tāngata whenua, the public, the Taranaki/Whanganui Conservation Board and other interested groups and individuals.

The plan highlights key features of Whanganui National Park that make it an iconic place for New Zealand. These include:

• its cultural values as a landscape of pā, kāinga and urupā connected to the Whanganui River;
• its importance for indigenous biodiversity as a large area of lowland forest home to kiwi, whio (blue duck) and many other native species;
• its role in helping to provide ecosystem services that benefit the health of the Whanganui River;
• the historic importance of sites such as the failed settlements of the Mangapurua Valley; and
• its importance as a place for New Zealanders and overseas visitors to experience kayaking, mountain biking or tramping through a special part of New Zealand.

It is the Department’s vision that the Whanganui National Park is recognised for its unique history, and New Zealanders and visitors take pride in its natural, iconic cultural landscape and recreational values. The Park’s forests and rivers provide the country’s largest natural sanctuary for thriving populations of kiwi, whio (blue duck) and other previously threatened species. It is the Department’s goal that the Park becomes a flagship for successful collaborative conservation management in accordance with the principles of the Treaty of Waitangi. The Whanganui National Park also makes an important contribution to the regional economy through tourism, employment and contract opportunities.

This Plan was approved by the New Zealand Conservation Authority on 9 August 2012.

Bylaws

Bylaws are in place for Whanganui National Park to control activities within the Park. These bylaws implement the NPMP. View the bylaws.