Tourism levy set to aid region
Minister of Conservation Tama Potaka made some announcements yesterday about using levy funding to support conservation and tourism across the country.
The levy was increased from $35 to $100 in October last year and Mr Potaka made announcements yesterday across various tourism sectors.
Some of the money would come south to get on top of pest plants in Stewart Island/Rakiura, to expand Tohu Whenua experiences in Southland and improve facilities and the visitor experience at Milford Sound.
The funding covers work over the next three years.
Southland and Manawatū-Whanganui were the two areas targeted with a $4.5million investment to develop Tohu Whenua experience at places with unique cultural heritage will help create jobs and boost incomes in rural economies.
Mr Potaka said sites which received Tohu Whenua status previously had had increases of up to 150% in visitation in their first year in the programme.
Tohu Whenua is a partnership between Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga and the Department of Conservation (Doc), with support from Te Puni Kōkiri, Manatū Taonga — Ministry for Culture & Heritage and MBIE.
Tohu Whenua includes 39 sites. Many of these are in public conservation areas. Launched in 2016, the programme is successfully operating in four regions.
Mr Potaka said $10m over the next three years would ensure popular mountains, parks and islands would remain beautiful for years to come.
"Locations include Abel Tasman, Mt Cook, Tongariro, Stewart Island, Mackenzie Basin, Molesworth and Te Paki and North Cape near Cape Reinga.
An extra $3m would go to the national wilding conifer control programme, led by Biosecurity New Zealand, for important control work in the Molesworth and Mackenzie Basin areas.
A further $7.45m will go towards managing other significant weeds.
"When it comes to tackling invasive weeds, taking early action is essential. IVL funding will also go towards the development and rollout of an innovative, smart software tool to detect weeds when they first invade."
There will be $13.6m over three years to improve visitor planning and management at the Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park, Milford Sound and Somes Island on Wellington's doorstep.
"This investment ensures the conservation areas and facilities that attract tourists to our regions continues to deliver on its promise of stunning nature."
There would also be $3.9m over two years to improve service and management of some of New Zealand's popular Great Walks and Doc campsites.
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Otago Daily Times
a day ago
- Otago Daily Times
Tourism levy set to aid region
The South has won some money via the international visitor levy. Minister of Conservation Tama Potaka made some announcements yesterday about using levy funding to support conservation and tourism across the country. The levy was increased from $35 to $100 in October last year and Mr Potaka made announcements yesterday across various tourism sectors. Some of the money would come south to get on top of pest plants in Stewart Island/Rakiura, to expand Tohu Whenua experiences in Southland and improve facilities and the visitor experience at Milford Sound. The funding covers work over the next three years. Southland and Manawatū-Whanganui were the two areas targeted with a $4.5million investment to develop Tohu Whenua experience at places with unique cultural heritage will help create jobs and boost incomes in rural economies. Mr Potaka said sites which received Tohu Whenua status previously had had increases of up to 150% in visitation in their first year in the programme. Tohu Whenua is a partnership between Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga and the Department of Conservation (Doc), with support from Te Puni Kōkiri, Manatū Taonga — Ministry for Culture & Heritage and MBIE. Tohu Whenua includes 39 sites. Many of these are in public conservation areas. Launched in 2016, the programme is successfully operating in four regions. Mr Potaka said $10m over the next three years would ensure popular mountains, parks and islands would remain beautiful for years to come. "Locations include Abel Tasman, Mt Cook, Tongariro, Stewart Island, Mackenzie Basin, Molesworth and Te Paki and North Cape near Cape Reinga. An extra $3m would go to the national wilding conifer control programme, led by Biosecurity New Zealand, for important control work in the Molesworth and Mackenzie Basin areas. A further $7.45m will go towards managing other significant weeds. "When it comes to tackling invasive weeds, taking early action is essential. IVL funding will also go towards the development and rollout of an innovative, smart software tool to detect weeds when they first invade." There will be $13.6m over three years to improve visitor planning and management at the Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park, Milford Sound and Somes Island on Wellington's doorstep. "This investment ensures the conservation areas and facilities that attract tourists to our regions continues to deliver on its promise of stunning nature." There would also be $3.9m over two years to improve service and management of some of New Zealand's popular Great Walks and Doc campsites.
1News
2 days ago
- 1News
DOC defends parking charges at Punakaiki Pancake Rocks
The Conservation Department is defending its plan to charge for parking at Punakaiki's Pancake Rocks and other tourist hotspots in National Parks. DOC is about to trial paid parking in its carpark next to the new Punangairi Visitor Centre in Punakaiki, and at Franz Josef and Aoraki Mt Cook. Punakaiki café owner Grant Parrett has objected, telling the West Coast Tai Poutini Conservation Board this month that DOC would be effectively charging people to visit a National Park. But DOC's senior project manager John Dore said the parking charges would not contravene the National Parks Act. "The Conservation Act 1987 allows for charging fair and reasonable fees for the use of facilities within conservation areas, which includes DOC car parks, backcountry huts, and campsites." ADVERTISEMENT Charging for carparks was common practice in National Parks around the world, Dore said. "It's considered a practical way for visitors to contribute to the facilities and nature they enjoy… it can also help manage demand and improve safety.' Parrett said Dolomite Point, the location of the Pancake Rocks and the visitor centre, was a special case. The carpark can get busy in the summer months. (Source: Local Democracy Reporting) "It's on State Highway 6, the Coast Road, and people like to stop off there on a long drive and stretch their legs. But, if you force them to use the DOC carpark, you're effectively charging them an entry fee to the National Park." Until a couple of months ago, there were 12 free car park spaces on the side of the highway heading north, but they had since been removed, Parrett said. NZTA Waka Kotahi has confirmed the removal of the parks last month was initiated by DOC, as a part of the Dolomite Point redevelopment. ADVERTISEMENT "DOC completed a traffic safety assessment in 2020 which, in conjunction with the development of parking facilities off the state highway, recommended the removal of the on-road state highway parking to improve safety. "NZTA endorsed the recommendations of this assessment in 2022," a spokesperson told LDR. NZTA had assessed the 12 roadside parks in the context of the new visitor centre development, and concluded that removing them would improve safety for all road users, especially pedestrians, a spokesperson said. It meant fewer people would be crossing the road to get to their cars, giving drivers better visibility of people on the pedestrian crossing between the visitor centre and the Pancake Rocks track, NZTA said. But Parrett said the speed limit through the area was 40km/h and the roadside parks had not been considered a safety risk in the past. "Fair enough, remove them if you're going to offer free parking on the other side but they're not. It's pretty poor because those free parks allowed 12 West Coast locals or other New Zealanders to pull up and just go for a walk around the rocks. "You're not going to go to the visitor centre every time you pass through." ADVERTISEMENT Parrett said the issue was fairness rather than safety. Punakaiki café owner Grant Parrett says DOC is effectively charging people to visit a National Park. (Source: Local Democracy Reporting) People would not be able to visit the famous Pancake Rocks and blowholes without paying, he said. "That makes it a quasi-entry fee to a National Park. Sure, if you can manage a 20-minute walk you could find a free park down the road. But you shouldn't have to. DOC should not have a monopoly on parking," Parrett said. NZTA Waka Kotahi said the paid parking trial did "alter the parking environment" in Punakaiki, but the recommendations of the traffic safety assessment did not change because of that. "If the paid parking trial does contribute to unsafe operating conditions on the state highway, we would expect DOC to address this," the NZTA spokesperson said. By Lois Williams, LDR Reporter ADVERTISEMENT Local Democracy Reporting is local-body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.
Otago Daily Times
3 days ago
- Otago Daily Times
Parking plan rethink urged
A Punakaiki cafe owner is urging the Department of Conservation to rethink its plan to charge for parking at the Pancake Rocks on the West Coast, saying it was acting as an entry fee to a national park. Grant Parrett told a meeting of the West Coast Tai o Poutini Conservation Board last week parking charges created a de facto entry fee to Paparoa National Park, which was unlawful. Conservation Minister Tama Potaka has asked for a trial of paid parking to boost revenue. Doc is aiming to launch a pilot programme in October at Punakaiki, Franz Josef and White Horse Hill at Aoraki/Mt Cook. Project manager John Dore told the board Doc had serious budget pressures including a 30% shortfall in funding for its visitor network and a huge deficit in the amount available for biodiversity. "For protection of all endangered species we have a budget of $300 million — but a need of $2.3 billion." Climate events in the last few years had added $90m in costs. Paid parking was a tool used internationally in nature parks and would help manage overcrowding at busy sites, he told the board. But Mr Parrett said the move would turn public conservation land into a Wilson-style parking lot, and urged the board to oppose it. "However you label it, it's a national park entry fee; it contravenes the National Parks Act and it diminishes Doc's social licence to operate." There were no free parks at Punakaiki because they had been removed to make room for the new visitor centre development and people would have no option but to pay to walk around the Pancake Rocks. Unlike Franz Josef or Aoraki/Mt Cook, Punakaiki was not a tourist destination but a stop-off attraction for people driving the scenic Coast Rd, and for most of the year there was no congestion or capacity problem in the carpark. "Parking fees will disadvantage local people who call in for a coffee or to stretch their legs." While Doc owned the land, taxpayers had funded the $45m Dolomite Point Visitor Centre development and the building was gifted by the last government to manawhenua, Ngati Waewae, who now leased office space back to Doc, Mr Parrett said. "I am surprised that the iwi has supported the paid parking trial ... unless they stand to benefit from it." Conservation Board Ngati Waewae representative Francois Tumahai objected. "I disagree with everything you've said. "The cost of the building was not $45m and we're not getting a cent from the project. "In the early days we suggested we might provide [parking] wardens — that's it." By Lois Williams
