Sites to be used for paid parking trial

Roys Peak and Blue Pools loom as possibilities for paid parking at public sites as a trial starts to do away with free parking at three places over summer.

The Department of Conservation had signalled it was looking at ways to grow revenue from the use of the public estate, including paid parking in some areas.

A trial will take place at the White Horse Hill carpark at Mt Cook, Dolomite Point in Punakaiki and Franz Josef.

The White Horse Hill Campground next to the carpark is Doc’s most visited campground.

The trial of the three carpark areas will start in December and run until June next year.

When asked yesterday, Doc heritage and visitors director Catherine Wilson confirmed it had previously looked at Roys Peak and Blue Pools as potential sites.

Once the pilot was complete, including a review of the results, a decision would be made whether to continue with paid parking at the three sites, and if it should be extended to other busy sites, she said.

Roys Peak, near Wānaka, had a 100-space vehicle park at the start of the one-day 16km return walk but in recent years had spilled over to vehicles parking on the side of the road for another 500m.

The Blue Pools, near Makarora, was a popular spot and a new carpark was built in the area in the past five years.

The money made by the pilot trial - $1.5 million - would go into Doc programmes to improve biodiversity or the visitor network, Ms Wilson said.

There would be some grace periods built in but there would be clear communication around paid parking so people understood the time limits.

Signage upgrades in the existing carpark should help improve the flow of traffic and to help people finding a parking space.

Ms Wilson said by paying for parking at these popular locations visitors were contributing to the facilities and nature they were enjoying.

She said the parking proposal was simple and easy to understand.

Payment machines would be installed at the sites and cameras would record the entry and exit of vehicles.

Ms Wilson said paid parking was standard practice at many national parks overseas.

At a glance

Paid parking on public estate

• Free parking period for 20 minutes 

• Hourly rate of $5 per hour 

• Daily rate of $25 per day 

• Annual pass for locals of $10 per year, allowing unlimited access

• Annual pass for other regular visitors for $60 per year 

• Concession-holding tourism operators can get a parking fee exemption during the pilot