Tangiwai
Template:Short description Template:Use dmy dates Template:Use New Zealand English Template:Infobox settlement Tangiwai is a Template:Convert<ref name="Area"/> census area<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and a small rural community in the Ruapehu District of the Manawatū-Whanganui region of New Zealand's North Island. It is located east of Ohakune and Rangataua and west of Waiouru on State Highway 49.<ref name=":0">Template:Cite web</ref> In 2018 37.5% of the area's 1,281 residents worked in agriculture, forestry and fishing and 7.1% in manufacturing.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
The New Zealand Ministry for Culture and Heritage gives a translation of "weeping water" for Template:Lang.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
New Zealand's worst rail accident, the Tangiwai disaster, occurred near Tangiwai on 24 December 1953. The Whangaehu River rail bridge collapsed beneath a Wellington-to-Auckland express passenger train. The locomotive and first six carriages derailed into the river, killing 151 people. The subsequent Board of Inquiry found that the accident was caused by the collapse of the tephra dam holding back nearby Mount Ruapehu's crater lake, creating a large lahar in the Whangaehu River, which destroyed one of the bridge piers at Tangiwai only minutes before the train reached the bridge.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> A memorial has been built at the accident site.
Tirorangi Marae and Rangiteauria meeting house is located in the Tangiwai area.<ref name="maorimaps2">Template:Cite web</ref> It is a traditional meeting ground of the Ngāti Rangi hapū of Ngāti Rangihaereroa, Ngāti Rangiteauria and Ngāti Tongaiti.<ref name="tkmentry2">Template:Cite web</ref>
Demographics
Tangiwai statistical area, which includes Rangataua and which surrounds but does not include Raetihi, Ohakune and Waiouru, covers Template:Convert.<ref name="Area">Template:Cite web</ref> It had an estimated population of Template:NZ population data 2023 SA2 as of Template:NZ population data 2023 SA2 with a population density of Template:Decimals people per km2.
Template:Historical populations The statistical area had a population of 1,449 in the 2023 New Zealand census, an increase of 168 people (13.1%) since the 2018 census, and an increase of 222 people (18.1%) since the 2013 census. There were 786 males, 660 females, and 3 people of other genders in 627 dwellings.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> 1.4% of people identified as LGBTIQ+. The median age was 41.2 years (compared with 38.1 years nationally). There were 300 people (20.7%) aged under 15 years, 210 (14.5%) aged 15 to 29, 696 (48.0%) aged 30 to 64, and 240 (16.6%) aged 65 or older.<ref name="Census 2023"/>
People could identify as more than one ethnicity. The results were 78.9% European (Pākehā); 36.2% Māori; 2.7% Pasifika; 3.3% Asian; 0.6% Middle Eastern, Latin American and African New Zealanders (MELAA); and 2.9% other, which includes people giving their ethnicity as "New Zealander". English was spoken by 96.9%, Māori by 6.2%, and other languages by 5.4%. No language could be spoken by 2.1% (e.g. too young to talk). New Zealand Sign Language was known by 0.4%. The percentage of people born overseas was 10.4, compared with 28.8% nationally.<ref name="Census 2023"/>
Religious affiliations were 27.5% Christian, 0.2% Hindu, 0.2% Islam, 5.2% Māori religious beliefs, 0.4% Buddhist, 0.2% New Age, and 0.4% other religions. People who answered that they had no religion were 57.6%, and 8.5% of people did not answer the census question.<ref name="Census 2023"/>
Of those at least 15 years old, 168 (14.6%) people had a bachelor's or higher degree, 705 (61.4%) had a post-high school certificate or diploma, and 276 (24.0%) people exclusively held high school qualifications. The median income was $42,100, compared with $41,500 nationally. 123 people (10.7%) earned over $100,000 compared to 12.1% nationally. The employment status of those at least 15 was 645 (56.1%) full-time, 186 (16.2%) part-time, and 27 (2.3%) unemployed.<ref name="Census 2023">Template:Cite web</ref>
Timber
George Syme & Co ran a saw mill to cut totara, rimu, matai and kahikatea, linked to the station by a Template:Convert tramway<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> from 1908<ref name=":22">Template:Cite web</ref> until 1930.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The mill burnt down in 1926.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Karioi state forest was set up in November 1926, with Template:Convert set aside for forestry, and taken on by New Zealand Forest Service from 31 March 1927.<ref name=":5" /> It stretches about Template:Convert north east from Tangiwai onto the southern slopes of Ruapehu.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> By March 1931, over 10.7m trees had been planted on Template:Convert, for £56,524, 15s 10d.<ref name=":5">Template:Cite web</ref> Most of the planting was on land with cobalt deficiency and therefore considered unsuitable for farming,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> though it also included at least Template:Convert of flax.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Trees have been harvested since the late 1960s.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Winstone Pulp International (WPI) bought Template:Convert of Waimarino Forest in 1989 and cutting rights to Template:Convert of Karioi Forest in 1990.<ref name=":1">Template:Cite web</ref>
Sawmill
To cut the timber, MSD Spiers built Tangiwai Sawmill beside the railway station in 1966.<ref name=":2">Template:Cite web</ref> It was bought by nearby pulp mill owner, Winstone Pulp International Ltd (WPI), in 1993<ref name=":1" /> and upgraded to mill over Template:Convert a year, using Template:Convert of logs, a planer, optimiser, dry-sheds, kilns and a Template:Convert wood waste heat plant, added in 2001.<ref name=":0" /> In April 2008, Ernslaw One Ltd purchased WPI.<ref name=":1" /> Ernslaw One owned by the Malaysian Tiong Family, bought WPI for $117,293,314.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> WPI employed about 300 staff. At 30 September 2006, its forest crop was valued at $83m and its fixed assets at $38.7m. It earned $131m, but lost $10.1m. Ernslaw One also has forests and mills in Gisborne, Naseby and Tapanui.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Pulp mill
A further use for the timber was the pulp mill, though it had a troubled beginning. It produces Template:Convert a year when running a single-shift. It is mainly used for newsprint and paperboard, much of it exported<ref name=":1" /> through New Plymouth,<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> then CentrePort Wellington<ref name=":1" /> and now Napier.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> A Template:Convert bark furnace and a heat exchanger recover Template:Convert of heat from steam for drying the pulp, electricity and LPG supplying the other energy. Excess heat is used to dry timber from the sawmill.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In 2004 the mill had 145 staff.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
In 1976 Winstone and Chonju Paper Manufacturing, a Samsung subsidiary, built a thermo-mechanical pulp mill, almost Template:Convert north of the sawmill.<ref name=":3">Template:Cite web</ref> In 1978 the first load of logs was delivered to the mill.<ref name=":4">Template:Cite web</ref> At least 70% of the pulp was to go to Chonju, but, when the mill came on stream in 1979, prices for pulp and newspaper had fallen and the pulp was of variable quality. In 1981 the mill was caught up in the Think Big debate,<ref name=":4" /> when the government took $10m in preference shares and made a $5m loan. Losses that year were $7.133m and rose to $11m. Later in 1981 H.W. Smith Ltd, a company linked with Brierley Investments Ltd, increased its 10% holding in Winstone to 24.9% and to 27% in 1983.<ref name=":3" /> Brierley gained full control of Winstone when the government sold its interests.<ref name=":1" /> The last remaining director from the Winstone family, Donald, retired. In early 1988, Fletcher Challenge bought Winstone for $444m. Karioi was sold within months<ref name=":3" /> to a Hong Kong investment company. The current name of Winstone Pulp International Ltd was adopted.<ref name=":1" /> WPI was sold to Ernslaw One group in 2008.<ref name=":1" />
2024 mills closure
In August 2024, Winstone Pulp International proposed closing its two central North Island mills due to high power prices. During a public meeting in Raetihi on 27 August, Mayor of Ruapehu Weston Kirton urged the New Zealand Government to offer an electrical subsidy to Winstones' mills. National Party Member of Parliament Suze Redmayne responded that the Government was working with electrical utility companies to find solutions.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> On 10 September 2024, the company confirmed that it would close down its Karioi pulp mill and Tangiwai timber mill by October 2024, leading to the loss of 230 jobs.<ref name="NZH 10 Sep 2024">Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="RNZ 10 Sep 2024">Template:Cite news</ref> WPI chief executive Mike Ryan attributed the closure to the "dual impact" of "uncompetitive" energy prices in New Zealand and the relatively low current and forecast mark prices for pulp and timber." Ryan confirmed that WPI would support staff by helping them to find jobs with other industry players, work with the Ministry of Social Development and Inland Revenue Department to support retrenched staff and provide access to wellbeing providers and financial advisers.<ref name="NZH 10 Sep 2024" />
WPI had previously criticised high power prices for making its business operations unsustainable, which was disputed by electrical utility company Mercury Energy.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> On 5 August, the company had also temporarily paused operations at both Karioi and Tangiwai, citing high energy prices.<ref name="NZH 10 Sep 2024" /> In response to WPI's closure proposal, workers had unsuccessfully petitioned to save the mills and made 189 submissions to improve the mills and cut down on costs.<ref name="RNZ 10 Sep 2024" /> RNZ reported that many employees had said that the mill's closure would lead to job losses in the Ruapehu District and cause families to migrate to Australia for work in the timber industry.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
First Union and E tū issued a joint statement describing the mills' closure as "devastating." First Union general secretary Dennis Maga thanked the local mayors and Associate Energy Minister Shane Jones for fighting to keep the mills open but criticised the Government for not intervening to address the impact of its previous energy reforms.<ref name="RNZ 10 Sep 2024" /> Ruapehu Mayor Kirton described the mills' closures as a "massive blow to Ruapehu and our communities." He confirmed that the Ruapehu District Council would work with WINZ and its iwi partners to support affected workers.<ref name="NZH 10 Sep 2024" /> Energy Minister Simeon Brown defended the New Zealand Government's decision not to intervene, describing it as a "commercial decision." In response, Labour's small business and manufacturing spokesperson Helen White criticised the Government for not doing more to keep the mills open.<ref name="RNZ 10 Sep 2024" />
In early June 2025, Stuff reported that the close of the Winestone pulp and timber mills had adversely affected the nearby township of Raetihi, leading to emigration and economic decline.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>