A $2.9 million refurbishment of North Egmont Visitor Centre has begun.

Once completed, the visitor centre will be part of the Taranaki Crossing, a 41km track network running from Dawson Falls, over the Pouakai Range, to Mangorei Road.

The Crossing was identified by economic development agency Venture Taranaki as a priority project for the region and it attracted a $13.3m grant from the Provincial Growth Fund in 2019.

 The Department of Conservation, the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment, and Te Kotahitanga o Te Atiawa will oversee work on the centre.

Te Kotahitanga chair Liana Poutu said the centre may be redeveloped or completely rebuilt.

She said there was still work to be done on the design which, when completed, will be shared with the community.

“We are planning to improve the facility in a way that will transform and enhance our visitor experiences through cultural narratives,” Poutu said.

DOC still operates from the visitor centre, but work to dismantle the centre’s cafe began in September.

Final upgrades to 25km of tracks as part of the Crossing project are due for completion this summer.