Ruapehu District Council

General Info

Ruapehu District Council (RDC) is the local territoral authority for the Ruapehu district. We have our head office in Taumarunui with a second major office in Ohakune and a small service centre in Raetihi. For locations and opening hours see Council Contact Information ## Ruapehu District Ruapehu is one of New Zealand's largest districts by land area but with one of the smallest permanent population counts made up of many small, diverse and geographically spread out rural communities. It has an area of 6,730 square kilometers and had a population of 11,844 at the 2013 census, down 12.7% from the 2006 census. The district is landlocked, and contains the western half of the Tongariro National Park, a duel world heritage location, including most of Mount Ruapehu and the western sides of Mount Ngauruhoe and Mount Tongariro, as well as part of the Whanganui National Park. The district is also home to the world famous Raurimu Spiral on the North Island Main Trunk railway line. The Ruapehu District offers unlimited opportunities as a region in which to live, work or visit. Blessed with spectacular scenery, the Ruapehu District has a magnificent range of attractions and things to do and, as such, offers an unparallelled lifestyle. ## Tourism The tourist towns of Whakapapa Village, National Park and Ohakune are located near Mount Ruapehu in the south east of the district, and Waiouru, with an elevation of 815 metres, is in the extreme south east of the district and houses the large Waiouru Army Camp. The southern section of the infamous Desert Road section of State Highway 1 runs through the east of the district, from Waiouru to Rangipo. ## Ruapehu Economy Ruapehu has well developed farming, forestry, manufacturing and visitor industries, offering many employment and investment opportunities. The local communities are extremely entrepreneurial and, along with Council, are focused on achieving and maintaining sustainable development within the District.