The Government plans to overhaul rules governing the country’s conservation estate, potentially opening up one-third of the nation’s land to expanded commercial use.
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon made the announcement alongside Conservation Minister Tama Potaka at the National Party Conference in Christchurch on Saturday.
Luxon said the current concessions system – which regulates commercial activities on Department of Conservation (DOC) land – is “totally broken,” stifling job creation and economic opportunities. He cited examples where outdated regulations have delayed tourism ventures and limited the use of modern technology like E-bikes on popular trails.
“To do anything, you need a concession – and the concessions regime is totally broken, often taking years to obtain or renew,” Luxon said. “In the spirit of saying yes to more jobs, more growth, and higher wages, we’re going to fix the Conservation Act to unleash a fresh wave of concessions – including tourism, agriculture, and infrastructure – where it makes sense.”
Alongside regulatory reform, the Government also announced it will begin charging international visitors a fee of $20 to $40 to access high-volume tourist destinations on conservation land. Four initial sites were named: Cathedral Cove, the Tongariro Crossing, the Milford Track, and Mount Cook – all of which attract high percentages of foreign tourists.
Conservation Minister Tama Potaka said the revenue – projected to reach up to $62 million annually – will be reinvested directly into the conservation areas themselves.
“Tourists make a massive contribution to our economy,” Potaka said. “But it’s only fair that at these special locations, foreign visitors make an additional contribution.”
Luxon clarified that the new access fees will apply only to overseas visitors. “There will be no charge for New Zealanders to access the conservation estate,” he said. “It’s our collective inheritance, and Kiwis shouldn’t have to pay to see it.”
The Government sees these changes as part of a broader strategy to stimulate regional development, lift wages, and reduce regulatory barriers to business on public land.
Image credit: JinHui Chen
It is glaring that again the shoe-string travelers are targeted. These exact locations are hiked by young folk, and especially by rucksack tourists. If you never traveled by rucksack you haven’t traveled right. And you’d know how much $40 here and there can be on the budget.
Also, it is exactly for that reason that these young folk come here. For the shoe-string traveler New Zealand still offers options (and it’s not the outrageously overpriced native rip-off enterprises).
But make no mistake: talk to any foreigner and they will tell you how crazily expensive New Zealand is.
We Kiwis behave like the frog in the pot. Only if you move you feel the shackles.
But yeah, legacies of govt largess and international bankster extortion needs to be paid.
So IMO it should read: “International investors make a massive contribution to our economy,”…“But it’s only fair that these special investor corporations who practically possess what is a special part of New Zealand, make an additional contribution.”
Foreign shoe string travelers contribute nothing to New Zealand’. They take us space on the roads , take seasonal jobs, don’t use accommodation take up space and leave rubbish and Sh1t in the bushes and expect everything for free. Grifters at best and no we don’t want them.
Agree that New Zealanders are frogs in the pot though….
If your’e not rich and can’t afford the fees, then stay home peasants…….oh and pay taxes to help rich people use these tracks anyway….this is REVOLTING…..
So, opening it up to “Iwi corporations” to exploit, where they get a special “koha” on top.
More like handing it over to Iwi Corporations….just like they are doing with the housing. Moving from KO to funding developments and when the development goes belly up, further funding Iwi community housing providers. The best part? The iwi gets to collect rent instead of the taxpayer, except that most of the people living there are – ypu guessed it – on a benefit paid for BY THE TAXPAYER. So if you want an answer to why this country is so broke? It’s because under Labour AND national – we see you Chris bishop and Tama potaka…….the taxpayer is being milked at every angle and the miney goes in the pocket of IWI parasites while they placate poor Maori by giving them a new house they get to “rent” with money that came from someone who worked….see how it works now?
So yeah, ypu can see why young ones are leaving. Who wants to enslave themselves into that sh1T?
Time to expose the corruption…..oh and hey, while we are on corruption- Maybe it’s good the FBI has an office in the beehive, they can expose the corruption…….yeah right
Honestly what a F…..ing. Fuster cluck this country is.
Bingo, our tax $ will pay for all the start ups, the iwi will get tax concessions, lower tax rates, insider trading advantages and the “revenue will be directly reinvested” into…??? Effectively tilting the field in iwi favour so no one else can enter. All at great cost to tax payers
Luxon is basically a simp for iwi interests.
Yip
So effectively privatising public lands and making people pay to explore their own fucking country twice. Once in taxes and again in fees. I actually think this lot are WORSE than Labour and that’s really saying something.
Goverment are not here to help and thry dont care about us peasants
The tourist charges sound stupid to me. Why not just get out of the Paris accord, remove the maori grifting and get back to sanity again.
Luxson wef globalist selling us out . More hair than morals