Government considers charging more for visits to national parks, conservation areas

The government is considering charging visitors more to access national parks and other conservation areas, and making it easier for private businesses to operate within them.

The Department of Conservation has released two documents for public consultation on "modernising" conservation, seeking feedback on questions like who should pay visitor fees and where, and what that money should go towards.

The priorities included fixing concession prices, generating new revenue, targeting investment into "high-value conservation outcomes" and strengthening relationships with iwi.

Conservation minister Tama Potaka said the aim was "to protect relevant natural areas while supporting sustainable growth in tourism and regional economies".

He said the concessions process - through which private companies gained permission to operate in areas under environmental protection - was too complex and took too long.

"The world has changed considerably since the Conservation Act was enacted in 1987," he said.

"We are asking people to get their feedback around the potential to charge for access in some places, not all places, not most places, but in some very popular places," Potaka told Morning Report.

"We are asking for people's views, and people's comments on these ideas. Nothing is set in stone.

"We will change the law because at the moment the law is, you aren't able to charge for access into National Parks, but we are able to charge for some things like the use of huts or car parks or other facilities that the Department of Conservation is looking after."

Internationally, Potaka said that in Australia you pay to go to Uluru, and in America you pay to go to Yellowstone.

Between July 2023 and July 2024, DOC's total budget was $644.2 million, excluding Jobs for Nature funding. Of this, $233.1m was used to support recreational activities and maintain the visitor network and $315.7m for biodiversity work.

The Government provided around 83 percent of the funding, while 17 percent came from other sources and third parties.

Last week, DOC announced it would be partnering with the New Zealand Nature Fund to bring in private and philanthropic donations to fund its work.

And on 1 October, the International Visitor Levy was increased from $35 to $100 per person - however at the time, Potaka's office could not confirm whether the revenue would be evenly split between conservation and tourism, as it had been in the past.

On Wednesday, DOC announced plans to introduce a paid parking pilot at Punakaiki Pancake Rocks, Franz Josef Glacier, and White Horse Hill at Aoraki Mount Cook National Park

According to the new proposal documents, fees for huts, campsites and carparks generated $25.4m.

Potaka said on Friday access fees were common overseas to maintain popular sites, and one of the proposal documents described fees inequalities under the current system.

For example, 25 percent of people who walk the Tongariro Alpine Crossing used private transport and are not required to pay a fee for the use of any facilities, such as the track and toilets.

The other 75 percent of visitors used a commercial shuttle service and therefore paid a $3 community contribution fee that partly contributed towards facilities.

Three options for change were now being considered; charge everyone the same, charge New Zealanders less than international visitors, or only charge international visitors and let New Zealanders access conservation areas for free.

The discussion documents are available on the Department of Conservation website, and consultation closes at the end of February 2025.

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