DOC will begin charging for car parking at three South Island sites - Punakaiki, Franz Josef and Aoraki/Mount Cook - from 15 December onwards.
"We are running a paid car parking pilot programme over the next seven months at these popular sites as a way for visitors to contribute to nature experiences they enjoy," says DOC Director of Heritage and Visitors Catherine Wilson.
"The programme includes car park upgrades and the introduction of paid parking systems."
The parking prices were set after a two-phase consultation process with iwi Treaty partners, local residents, businesses, and tourism operators. Car park charges are planned to begin on 15 December and continue until the end of June 2026.
Details of the car park fees are:
- Free parking period for 20 minutes to allow for drop-offs/pick-ups or staying a short time.
- Hourly rate of $5 per hour.
- Daily rate of $20 per day at Punakaiki and Franz Josef, and $25 per day at Aoraki/Mount Cook.
- Annual permit for locals (within local council boundaries) of $10 per vehicle per site per year, which allows for unlimited access for the year.
- Annual permit for other visitors of $60 per vehicle per site per year.
- Commercial tourism operators who hold a valid concession will be granted a parking fee exemption for the duration of the pilot.
Locals and other visitors can now apply for an annual permit through the paid parking web page on the DOC website. Local school groups, volunteer groups and community groups can also apply online for exemptions to the parking charges.
Payment machines will be installed at the sites and cameras will record the entry and exit of vehicles. Non-payment of parking fees will incur breach notices, which will be enforced by Stellar, the hardware and parking services supplier.
DOC's estimated combined revenue from the three pilot sites of Punakaiki, Franz Josef and Aoraki/Mount Cook is expected to be approximately $1.5 million over the seven-month pilot period (December 2025 to June 2026).
Once the pilot is completed and the outcomes have been reviewed, a decision will be made whether to continue with paid parking at the three sites, and if it should be extended to other busy sites.
"The introduction of a paid parking programme enables visitors to contribute to the conservation facilities and naturing experiences they enjoy," says Catherine.
"This is standard practice at many national parks overseas, and most international visitors accept this as a necessary contribution to support amazing nature sites."
