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Three Ruapehu iwi are hoping for government support for an inland island eco-sanctuary near National Park Village.
Uenuku Charitable Trust chair Aiden Gilbert says the Pokaka EcoSanctuary could serve as an example of what can be done in an area of plateau forest that has been hard hit by past logging, poor pest management, encroaching farmlands and the increasing footprint of tourism.
The iwi want to restore through connection to the land and restore its biodiversity, starting by fencing off 200 hectares of regenerating forest.
"Outside of that fence there will be various degrees of pest control, hence the halo effect.. There is roughly 2700 hectares of the Erua block we wish to be part of the halo. It's about allowing those missing species to flourish inside the fence and then introducing them outside," Mr Gilbert says.
Uenuku, which includes Uenuku, Tamakana and Tamahaki, would like support for their kaitiaki role as part of their treaty settlement.
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