How Chateau Tongariro has ended up empty and in limbo

The future of an Aotearoa architectural icon hangs in the balance. 

Nearly 100 years after its initial construction, Chateau Tongariro finds itself in a financial mess. 

The prominent hotel, which sits on National Park land owned by the Crown, is in a state of disrepair and in desperate need of remediation work.  

The question hanging over all of this is who will pay the tens of millions of dollars necessary to bring the building up to modern standards.  

Does the onus rest with the Crown? Or should it lie with the organisation that owns the building? And even if the Crown does decide to fork out for the repairs, will this be a palatable decision amid the cost-of-living crisis? 

Today on The Front Page, NZ Herald senior business reporter Kate MacNamara, digs into the mess underneath one of the country’s most recognisable buildings.

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