Concession application by Ruapuha Uekaha Hapu Trust
Have your say on Ruapuha Uekaha Hapu Trust 60-year licence and lease application at Waitomo Caves. Submissions close 7 July 2026 at 5 pm.

This application is notified under section 17SC of the Conservation Act 1987. The Minister of Conservation has received an application for a licence and lease for a term of 60 years from:

Application details

Applicant: Ruapuha Uekaha Hapu Trust (RUHT)
Application number: 125649-GUI
Location of proposed activity: Waitomo Caves Scenic Reserve - Part Hauturu East 3B1 (HE 3B1) and Section 10 Block X Orahiri SD (Section 10).
Map reference:

  • DOC map: Annotating the public conservation land sections of the car park licence and guiding lease areas.
  • WAI 51 map: Section 10 and HE 3B1 are depicted on the Wai 51 plan prepared by Te Tari Whakatau.
  • Maps C and D depict the whole cave system included in the guided tours (including those not under public conservation land).

Concesssion type: Licence and lease
Summary of proposal:

Car park licence – Form 3B:

  • A licence to provide non-exclusive use of the parking facilities on HE 3B1 for visitors to the Waitomo Caves. HE 3B1 is a formed and paved car park that services the Waitomo Caves and visitor centre, Waitomo Caves Scenic Reserve and Waitomo Domain.

Guiding Lease – Land based guiding activities form:

  • Guided tour through Waitomo Caves: The visitors have a short walk along a paved track to the cave entrance followed by a walk through the Waitomo Caves on designated walkways that have not been closed off to visitors due to vulnerable formations and/or for CO2 management purposes.

    When water level conditions permit, the guided tour also includes a short non-motorised boat ride on the Waitomo Stream that passes through the Waitomo Caves. The boat loads visitors and embarks from a designated jetty adjoining the area known as the Grotto then floats through the Grotto enabling glowworm observation before exiting the cave for visitors to disembark at a permanent jetty constructed on the stream bank within Hauturu East 8 (Māori freehold land vested in the RUHT).

    Section 10 comprises only a short portion of the walk in the vicinity of the boat jetty and a short boat ride through the Grotto prior to exiting the Waitomo Caves.

Applicant background experience:

  • Since June 1990 RUHT has been member of Caves Management Committee pursuant to the Wai 51 settlement (CMC). Under the Wai 51 settlement the control of the Waitomo Caves is shared between the RUHT and DOC.
  • The RUHT and the Minister of Conservation were licensors for HE 8, Section 10 and HE 3B1 under the 1990 licence (LIC-4001).
  • The RUHT and the Minister of Conservation are lessors/concessionaires for HE 8, Section 10 and HE 3B1 under the 2008 lease (WK-22946-GUI).

Application documents:

How to make a submission

Any person or organisation may make a submission in writing to the Director-General on the proposal.

Submissions close 7 July 2026 at 5 pm.

1. Prepare your submission

Record what you think in the submission form.

2. Send us your submission

Send your submission by email or post. You'll get a confirmation email or letter when a submission has been received.

Email: awmason@doc.govt.nz 

Post:
Director-General
Department of Conservation
Permissions Team
Private Bag 3072
Hamilton 3204
Attention: Akasha Warner-Mason Senior Permissions Treaty Advisor

Once submitted, submitters' information is subject to the Official Information Act 1982 and may be released under that Act. If you wish to keep any part of your submission confidential, state this in writing when making your submission.

What happens next

After submissions close:

  1.  DOC will analyse and consider all submissions.
  2. A hearing will be held if there have been requests to be heard by the Director-General. If you have expressed an interest in presenting your submission at a hearing, you'll be contacted by DOC regarding this.
  3. DOC will analyse and consider information raised at the hearing if a hearing occurred.
  4. DOC will make a recommendation to the Minister of Conservation.
  5. The Minister of Conservation will make a decision on the application.

Hearing details

If a hearing is required, it's likely to occur on the week starting 20 July 2026.

Decision

No details at this point. Details, such as submissions and the decision outcome, will be added when they are available.

DOC comment regarding publicly notified applications

The Minister of Conservation has made no determination regarding the suitability of this proposed concession on public conservation land. This public notification should not be interpreted as an intention on the part of the Minister of Conservation to grant the proposed concession.

Contact

If you have a question about the application or the submission process you can contact Akasha Warner-Mason, Senior Permissions Treaty Advisor.

Email: awmason@doc.govt.nz