A Taranaki iwi says it has walked away from the Taranaki Crossing project in Egmont National Park
after being forced to use the Official Information Act to find out where millions of taxpayers money is being spent.
Kaiarataki of Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Ruanui, Debbie Ngarewa-Packer, said the iwi waited several months and had to appeal directly at ministerial level before 122 pages of heavily-redacted documents were released to it - and she said it was still none the wiser about how the money is being used.
The Taranaki Crossing - formerly known as the Pouakai Crossing - has been promoted as an alternative to the overcrowded Tongariro Crossing for about six years.
The previous National-led government pledged $3.4 million to the project in 2017 - the same year the Lonely Planet travel guide described it as a must-do experience when naming Taranaki the second best region in the world to visit.
The current government put up $13.3m in 2018 - subject to a feasibility study - which it then re-announced as a Provincial Growth Fund investment in 2019.
Full article: https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/te-manu-korihi/419280/iwi-walks-away-from-taranaki-crossing-project
