A multimillion-dollar wildlife centre and kiwi viewing house in Inglewood is a step closer, with the community board recommending New Plymouth District Council (NPDC) buy land for it.
The East Taranaki Environment Trust has proposed a centre with a viewing house for at least two North Island western brown kiwi. Photo: 123rf
The council is working with the East Taranaki Environment Trust (ETEC) and Pukerangiora hapū on the centre.
The council would buy land on the southern boundary of Inglewood, and New Plymouth's Brooklands Zoo would move its animal hospital to the new centre.
On Tuesday, the Inglewood Community Board gave its support to NPDC buying land behind the Joe Gibbs Reserve, alongside the Kurapete Stream, for $800,000.
The East Taranaki Environment Trust has proposed a centre with a viewing house for at least two North Island western brown kiwi, a recovery centre for injured native animals, an education room, a café, and eventually a kiwi hatchery.
The trust argues it would be a "cornerstone" tourism attraction employing up to 14 staff plus volunteers.
It is expected to cost about $10 million to build and $1m a year to run.
The council would not pay for the centre and trustees are said to be confident they can raise the money.
A wetland would be restored alongside the centre.
Pukerangiora hapū has mana whenua in the area, and chairperson Anaru White said they supported the plan.
"It's a great opportunity for the community, and for hapū and iwi as a collective.
"We're huge on restoring our environment, our flora and wildlife as well, and seeing this happen in Inglewood and being able to show the connections to us as hapū and iwi is a wonderful opportunity."
Councillor Marie Pearce said the land came up for sale late last year and she quietly alerted the trust and the council before it was bought privately.
"It's a perfect fit [for the centre] and with the issues at Brooklands Zoo when we hold large events at the Bowl, this seemed to have a perfect fit with their long-term plans as well."
NPDC's planning and design lead Rene Davies said the first priority was a bird hospital with public cages for recovering birds.
The second priority was an education component, and then a hatchery with public kiwi viewing.
"At the moment, all kiwi eggs taken from nests in Taranaki to hatch and grow up then be re-released… go to Rotorua or Palmerston North. It's quite a fraught, stressful trip."
"There's a lot of kiwi activity in area so the feeling is we can justify our own hatchery to do a lot more, and do it locally."
Aerial photo shows where Inglewood's wildlife centre (orange) and restored wetland (blue) would be. Photo: Supplied
Davies said the centre would bring economic opportunities for Inglewood, and early discussions were beginning with the neighbouring Te Kōhanga Reo o Te Rangiora about the chance to provide marae stays for visiting school groups.
ETEC currently protects 13,000 hectares of remote hill country east of Inglewood with predator traps and goat control.
North Island western brown kiwi, long-tailed bats and kōkako are protected, and as the kiwi spread the trust wants to expand to almost 19,000 hectares by the end of the year.
If the council accepts the community board recommendation, the next steps are to buy the land, set up a partnership with ETEC and Pukerangiora, plan the centre, and set up a lease for the land to be used for the wildlife centre.
Local Democracy Reporting is Public Interest Journalism funded through NZ On Air