\u201cWe will still have a presence today, with three ground crews, one tanker and one helicopter at the fireground.<\/p>\n
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\u201cWe\u2019ll work through with the aim of handing the incident to the Department of Conservation on Thursday,\u201d Potae said.<\/p>\n
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At 1.30pm the fire\u2019s size was 296ha, down from 322 this morning, with an 8.5km perimeter.<\/p>\n
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Fire and Emergency will continue to work with police to investigate the fire, she said.<\/p>\n
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Ng\u0101ti Hikairo ki Tongariro has extended the r\u0101hui from the previous fire to all affected lands.<\/p>\n
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Tongariro fire: tracks reopen<\/p>\n
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Visitors can safely return to tracks and huts in Tongariro National Park on Wednesday 10 December, but caution is advised around traffic-controlled areas of State Highway 47, DOC said in a staement,<\/p>\n
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The fire affected around 300 hectares of Tongariro National Park, in an area near the previous, devastating, November fire.<\/p>\n
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Fire and Emergency New Zealand have declared the fire completely contained, and the Park\u2019s tracks and huts are safe from the impacts of fire.<\/p>\n
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State Highway 47 is due to reopen at 9pm\u00a0 last night with a section restricted to single lane traffic under speed restrictions. Access to State Highway 48 and Whakapapa Village will be restored.<\/p>\n
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The Tongariro Alpine Crossing, the Tongariro Northern Circuit, and all walks in and around Whakapapa Village will be open from Wednesday, December 10.<\/p>\n
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Department of Conservation Tongariro Operations Manager Libby O\u2019Brien said the news was a relief for the community.<\/p>\n
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\u201cOur community have been feeling it, both the loss of these beautiful parts of the park, and also the loss of tourism so many rely on.<\/p>\n
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\u201cBy opening up our tracks and huts we are saying, \u2018yes it\u2019s safe, yes you can visit, nau mai haere mai ki Tongariro National Park.<\/p>\n
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\u201cWith the one caveat \u2013 as single lane restrictions continue to apply on State Highway 47, we\u2019re requesting people continue to use shuttle operators to visit the Tongariro Alpine Crossing.<\/p>\n
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\u201cWhile we want visitors to return, we\u2019re also asking people to limit driving through the traffic-controlled section of State Highway 47 between Mangatepopo Road and State Highway 48. To help all those still responding to the fire, please take a shuttle to the crossing.\u201d<\/p>\n
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There are no restrictions on State Highway 48 to Whakapapa Village, and the popular destination is fully open to visitors.<\/p>\n
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Ng\u0101ti Hikairo ki Tongariro spokesperson Te Ngaehe Wanikau said the latest fire has placed continued strain on the whenua, taiao, and people.<\/p>\n
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\u201cAs mana whenua and kaitiaki of Tongariro, it is our responsibility to respond in a way that upholds the mauri of the land and ensures its healing for generations to come.<\/p>\n
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\u201cWe have chosen to incorporate the landscape of this latest fire in the 10-year r\u0101hui whakaora (restorative r\u0101hui), for a unified approach to recovery.<\/p>\n
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\u201cThis decision reflects\u00a0both our deep cultural obligations and the clear environmental need to restrict access, limit disturbance, and allow the maunga and its ecosystems the time they require to recover.<\/p>\n
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\u201cWe ask the public, visitors, and all those who love Tongariro to uphold and respect this r\u0101hui. It is a protective measure \u2013 not just for the land, but for the wellbeing of our community.\u201d<\/p>\n
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O\u2019Brien said the community is at the heart of Tongariro.<\/p>\n
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\u201cWe weather these events as a community, and as a community, we\u2019re ready to welcome visitors back to the park.\u201d<\/p>\n
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-Additonal reporting by\u00a0Lochlan Lineham<\/p>\n
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