The woman killed in a small farming community south of Rotorua today has been remembered as a quietly spoken, hard worker who lived for her animals.

A police media spokeswoman confirmed police had launched a homicide inquiry after the death of a 50-year-old woman following an incident in Ngakuru. A man has been charged with murder.

A Ngakuru resident, who would not be identified, said the woman was a quietly spoken, hard worker who lived for her animals.

He said the Ngakuru community was "tight knit" and there would be plenty of people willing to help the family.

The man said the community was already reeling from losing two young people connected to the area - local young contractor who died last week and Kingi Jo Wiremu Vartiainen Veens from Tokoroa, who worked locally on a farm and died in a fiery crash between a truck and a car near the Bull Ring Cafe On State Highway 1 the week earlier.

"People are starting to wonder what's going on."

The man said there would be people she worked with who would be "shattered" by the news, he said.

A reporter at the scene said police officers in boiler suits could be seen at the front of the property going between the house and cars on the property, she said.

A blue tent could be seen on the lawn of the property but it was not clearly visible from the road, she said.

Officers were called to the property at 7.15am.

Readers earlier told the Rotorua Daily Post they saw several police and ambulance vehicles at a house this morning. Some were still there this afternoon.

The spokeswoman said a scene examination was under way.

The arrested man appeared in Rotorua District Court this afternoon and was granted interim name suppression.

The man has been remanded in custody to appear in the High Court in Rotorua on December 14.