Speaking to the Otago Daily Times after attending a joint meeting of the Otago and Southland Conservation Boards in the resort on Tuesday, Ms Sage said she agreed with Queenstown Lakes Mayor Jim Boult that a local visitor levy "recognises we’ve got millions of visitors here and a population of 16,000".
"We need to ensure tourism is sustainable and that visitors are contributing to the costs of the infrastructure they are using".
"We’ve got a lot of under-investment in infrastructure in New Zealand, and something like a bed tax may work really well for Queenstown."
Ms Sage said board members had given her a clear message about the "pressure points" on the region’s infrastructure, such as toilets, roading, car parking and health and safety.
The most prominent issue was "roadside or vehicle campers", her preferred term for freedom campers. Freedom camping laws needed updating, and central and local government would need to collaborate more closely to deal with the issue.
"Locals have a right to go to their local reserves and enjoy those places without being overrun by vehicles."
International visitors needed to contribute to the cost of protecting the environment they had come to enjoy, which was why the Government was working on introducing a visitor levy at the border.
She told board members there was a "disconnect" between the marketing of the country by Tourism New Zealand and those forced to deal with the infrastructure pressures, such as the Department of Conservation and district councils.
There was a need to plan ahead to see where the pressure points would occur, rather than being "reactive".
Growth in visitor numbers
• International visitor numbers growing at 7% a year
• Visitors to national parks likely to double in the next six years
• Great Walks are near capacity: Milford Track 99%, Routeburn 92%
• Milford Sound has experienced a 16% annual increase in visitors for the past five years
— Source: Department of Conservation
