Some last less than a weekend, some much longer, but Department of Conservation signs are increasingly targets for vandals.
Recent incidents include the iconic green and yellow signs being riddled with bullet holes, being driven into, and being 'keyed" so that information can't be read, or signs removed altogether.
Figures reveal that in the South Island alone, there are 902 DOC signs flagged in the works system for replacement or repair. That compares with a total of 1155 signs being replaced or repaired in the three-year period from July 2022 to now.
DOC Asset Inspector Charlie Barnett has seen it all. His job is to undertake condition assessments on bridges, huts, signs and other structures. He says he sees at least two or three badly damaged signs a month in his inspection rounds.
"It's really frustrating to see the needless destruction of DOC signage and infrastructure. It is also a safety concern, as people could be walking the tracks while signs are being shot at with projectiles travelling far beyond the eye. The signs riddled with bullet holes are usually out in the back country, while closer to town it's mainly graffiti or being knocked over or driven into," he says.
Charlie Barnett says it's a huge amount of work to carry in new materials to replace or fix signs and they are often in remote locations. His message is clear.
"Be the better person in nature. Save target practice for the range and leave the signs alone."
DOC has 26,759 signs across Aotearoa and it's a huge job maintaining and replacing them. The department spent $350,523 on signage in the 2024/2025 financial year. Next year's budget has increased to $587,248.
DOC Strategic Asset Manager Kushla Tapper says it's not just a vandalism issue – it's about keeping the public safe.
"Some signs lose their reflective quality when vandalised and that means they can't be seen in poor weather conditions or the dark. This can be the difference between safety and significant harm for travellers. These signs contain essential information.
"We want the public to know that the time and costs we spend on repairing and replacing signs, could be better spent on doing other work to protect biodiversity or maintaining huts and tracks. We have a finite budget and are always trying to prioritise our work. We could maintain more visitor assets if we didn't have to keep reassigning funds to fixing vandalism of essential signage."
Kushla Tapper says as we head into another busy summer season, it's a timely reminder to those heading out 'naturing'.
"Ultimately our message is please, leave the signs alone. We love that more people are enjoying the outdoors, but this is the opposite of what 'naturing' is supposed to be about. Naturing is about respecting and caring for the environment, and that includes our signs."
Members of the public who see any damaged DOC signs are encouraged to record the location, take a photo if possible, and send the information to the local DOC office.
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