On November 15, two discussion documents were released by the government which detailed a proposal to charge for entry to conservation land as well as the streamlining of concessions for more flexibility around land exchange and disposals.
These documents have been proposed as a means of "modernising the conservation system".
Both the Department of Conservation and the Conservation Minister Tama Potaka are seeking feedback in order to determine who should pay, which areas should have to pay and what the money should go towards.
The priorities motivating this proposal include generating revenue to support the increase in outdoor tourism, while also protecting conservation land.
Given the growing number of tourists who come to visit and experience Wanaka’s vast natural landscapes, this has raised several questions from local leaders.
Queenstown Lakes District Mayor Glyn Lewers responded with a statement saying that although he was "an advocate of regenerative tourism and ‘user pay’ access", there were still several elements that needed to be addressed.
Mr Lewers acknowledged change was needed across the Queenstown Lakes District: "As Destination Queenstown has already pointed out, the whole funding model needs to be considered holistically."
He said there were still many questions that needed to be answered before this visitation pay could be adopted, including how the international visitor and local levies would work together and where the money would be spent.
Waitaki District Mayor Gary Kircher had similar views.
When it came to the conservation of land in the Waitaki District, he was not "opposed to finding other revenue".
Looking more specifically at smaller regions including Wanaka, Mr Kircher said "a lot of areas are oversubscribed".
Mt Aspiring National Park, Wanaka’s largest and most popular national park, is an example of the pressures being put on local conservation land as a result of tourism.
The number of visitors exploring the park has steadily increased over the past few years and some of the infrastructure has taken a toll.
Recently, the Rob Roy Glacier bridge had to be rebuilt to accommodate the projected growth in tourist numbers, which is set to rise from the average of 180 people a day.
The cost of rebuilding was estimated at about $50,000.
Mr Kircher expressed the importance of taking local areas into consideration when discussing this conservation pay. "It would be helpful if governments engaged at a local level."
However, he also said that "whatever the cost is, it shouldn’t stop New Zealanders from enjoying these places".
Submissions for feedback on the proposal documents are open until February 28, 2025.
