Source: New Zealand Government
Conservation Minister Tama Potaka has announced two new International Visitor Levy (IVL) investments while in the Waikato, today — funding to protect the Whangamarino wetland, and further work to maximise breeding opportunities for the Māhoenui giant wētā at Otorohanga Kiwi House.
“We are serious about protecting and restoring New Zealand’s taonga sites and taonga species now, and for future generations,” Mr Potaka says.
“This is why we are committing $2 million over two years to kickstart work on the Whangamarino Action Plan and help restore the habitat as a Wetland of International Importance (Ramsar Site).
“Whangamarino is a under significant pressure due to a history of drainage and frequent flood events. Working with Iwi and stakeholders, the aim is to improve water level management for biodiversity conservation and improved water quality, and to recognising the role of the wetland in natural flood management.
“Additionally, we are granting the Māhoenui giant wētā captive breeding work at Otorohanga Kiwi House, which is carried in partnership with Te Whare o Mōkau ki Runga (Ngāti Maniapoto), $75,000 from the IVL.
“Wētā are a unique breed of insect only found in New Zealand, and our giant wētā, particularly the Māhoenui variety, hold a very special place in the insect kingdom.
“They’re one of the heaviest and toughest insect species in the world, but also one of the most endangered.
“Otorohanga Kiwi House has been doing fantastic work to breed giant wētā for release. With this IVL support — and what will hopefully be a successful breeding season — we hope to see more wētā in the wild.”
Whangamarino Wetlands
Whangamarino is an internationally significant Ramsar wetland in north Waikato.
Without urgent intervention, the deteriorating state of Whangamarino will decline further.
IVL investment will enable work at Whangamarino on ecological restoration through the development of critical infrastructure to improve the management of water levels, improve water quality, and reduce the presence of pest koi carp.
Otorohanga Kiwi House captive Māhoenui giant wētā breeding programme
IVL funding will boost Otorohanga Kiwi House’s captive breeding programme, which is essential for restoring population of the wētā in the wild.
The programme, which is delivered in partnership with Te Whare o Mōkau ki Runga, has successfully bred over 300 Māhoenui giant wētā in captivity since 2021, helping secure the future of one of New Zealand’s most threatened invertebrate species.
He pūtea hou mō Whangamarino me tētahi ngāngara matarahi
Nō te rangi tonu nei ka pānui atu te Minita Whāomoomo a Tama Potaka i ētahi haumitanga hou nō te International Visitor Levy (te IVL) nōna i Waikato — he pūtea tēnei hei whakahaumaru i te kūkūwai o Whangamarino, hei tautoko hoki i te mahi whakawhānui ake i ngā āheitanga whakatupu mō te wētā punga Māhoenui ki te Whare Kiwi o Ōtorohanga.
“E aro kau ana mātou ki te whakahaumaru, ki te tāmata hoki i ngā wāhi taonga o Aotearoa me ngā momo taonga hoki, mō tēnei wā, mō ngā reanga o muri hoki,” hei tā Potaka.
“Koinā mātou e whakarite nei i te 2 miriona tāra mō ngā tau e rua e tū mai nei, hei tīmata i te mahi whakatinana i te Whangamarino Action Plan, hei āwhina hoki ki te tāmata i te taiao kia noho ai te kūkūwai hei Wetland of International Importance (hei Ramsar Site).
“E tāmia kinotia ana a Whangamarino nā runga i te kaha whakaawatia o te kūkūwai i roto i ngā tau, nā te nui hoki o ngā waipuke. Mā te mahi tahi me ngā iwi me ngā kiripānga, ko te whāinga ko te whakapai ake i te whakahaere i te nui o te wai mō te whāomoomo rerenga rauropi te take me te whakapiki i te kounga o te wai, ko te whakamārama atu hoki i tō te kūkūwai wāhanga i te whakahaere ā-taiao i ngā waipuke.
“Hei tāpiri, ka utua hoki te mahi whakatupu i ngā wētā punga Māhoenui e noho ana ki te Whare Kiwi o Ōtorohanga, e whakahaere tahitia ana tēnei kaupapa ki te taha o Te Whare o Mōkau ki Runga (Ngāti Maniapoto), ki te 75,000 tāra nō te IVL.
“He momo ngāngara motuhake te Wētā e kitea ana ki Aotearoa anake, ka mutu ko te wētā punga, inarā ko te momo Māhoenui, he wāhanga whakahirahira tō tēnei momo ki roto i te mātāmuatanga ngārara.
“Ko ngā wētā ētahi o ngā momo ngārara taumaha rawa, pūioio rawa i tēnei ao, engari ko ēnei hoki ētahi o ngā mea whakaraerae rawa.
“Inā te pai rawa atu o tā te Whare Kiwi ki Ōtorohanga mahi ki te whakatupu i ngā wētā punga kia rite ai ēnei ngārara mō te ngahere. Mā te tautoko a te IVL — mā te pahawatanga hoki o tētahi wā whakatupu whaihua — ko te manako ia ka nui ake ngā wētā ka kitea rā ki roto i te ngahere.”
He kupu mā ngā ētita:
Ngā Kūkūwai ki Whangamarino
Ko Whangamarino tētahi kūkūwai kei te raki o Waikato, he kūkūwai whakahirahira ā-tāwāhi nei, ā-Ramsar nei hoki.
Ki te kore he hāpaiora kōhukihuki, ka hē kē atu te tauheketanga o te waiora ki Whangamarino.
Mā te pūtea o IVL ka āhei te mahi tāmata hauropi ki Whangamarino mā roto mai i te waihanga i te tūāhanga whai tikanga hei whakakaha ake i te whakahaere i te nui o te wai, hei whakapai ake i te kounga o te wai, hei aukati hoki i te nōhanga a ngā kīrearea koi ki tēnei wāhi.
Tā te Whare Kiwi ki Ōtorohanga kaupapa whakatupu i ngā wētā punga Māhoenui
Mā te haumitanga o IVL ka whakakahangia ake tā te Whare Kiwi ki Ōtorohanga kaupapa whakatupu, he nui te wāhanga o tēnei kaupapa i te mahi whakaora i te taupori o ngā wētā e noho mohoao ana.
E 300 ngā wētā punga Māhoenui i whānau mai ki roto i te whare nei, nā tēnei kaupapa i pēnei ai, ā, he mea whakahaere ngātahi tēnei kaupapa ki te taha o Te Whare o Mōkau ki Runga, nā runga i tēnā, kua kaha kē atu te whakaū i te anamata o tētahi o ngā momo ngāngara whakaraerae rawa atu ki Aotearoa nei.
Original source: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/09/04/new-funding-for-whangamarino-wetland-insect-heavyweight/