Unleashing economic growth on one third of New Zealand's land will create jobs and increase wages across the country, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Conservation Minister Tama Potaka announced at the National Party Conference in Christchurch today.
"The Department of Conservation manages huge tracts of New Zealand, from the most pristine parts of our National Parks and the Great Walks to areas of grassland used for grazing," Mr Luxon says.
"Many New Zealanders already run outstanding businesses on the conservation estate – from guided walks and ski fields, to filming documentaries, grazing sheep and cattle, or hosting concerts and building cell phone towers.
"But to do any of that, you need a concession – and the concessions regime is totally broken, often taking years to obtain or renew and leaving businesses in a cycle of bureaucratic limbo.
"Outdated rules mean we've got examples of modern E-bike users being turned away from potential touring opportunities because they have to be considered as proper vehicles. And tourism on the Routeburn is being held up because the trail crosses artificial boundaries, with different rules and different limits.
"So, in the spirit of saying yes to more jobs, more growth, and higher wages, today I can make two announcements.
"First, we're going to fix the Conservation Act to unleash a fresh wave of concessions – like tourism, agriculture, and infrastructure, in locations where that makes sense.
"At the same time, sites that are truly special to New Zealanders should be protected so we are giving DOC more support by introducing a charge for foreign visitors to access high volume sites," Mr Luxon says.
Tama Potaka says this will initially involve looking at four locations – Cathedral Cove / Te Whanganui-a-Hei, Tongariro Crossing, Milford Track, and Aoraki Mount Cook – where foreigners often make up 80 per cent of all visitors.
"Tourists make a massive contribution to our economy, and no one wants that to change. But I have heard many times from friends visiting from overseas their shock that they can visit some of the most beautiful places in the world for free.
"It's only fair that at these special locations, foreign visitors make an additional contribution of between $20 and $40 per person.
"For the conservation estate that will mean up to $62 million per year in revenue, which will be directly re-invested into those same areas, so we can keep investing in the sites that underpin so much of our tourism sector," Mr Potaka says.
Mr Luxon says, at the same time, there will be no charge for New Zealanders to access the conservation estate.
"It's our collective inheritance and Kiwis shouldn't have to pay to see it.
"If we're serious about keeping Kiwis at home, creating jobs, and increasing wages for all New Zealanders, we can't afford to keep saying no to every opportunity that comes our way," Mr Luxon says.
Factsheet: Access charging (PDF, 150K)
Factsheet: Modernising conservation land management (PDF, 232K)
