'Wave' of Conservation Act concessions, foreign visitor charge for high-volume DOC sites
Photo:
Samuel Rillstone / RNZ
The government plans to make it easier to get a concession to operate on Conservation land and will bring in a foreign visitor charge at some popular tourist spots.
"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," Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said.
Luxon said the current concessions regime "is totally broken" and could take years for a business to obtain or renew.
"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.
"Outdated rules mean we've got examples of modern E-bike users being turned away from potential touring opportunities because they have to be considered as proper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."
Luxon also announced the government will introduce a charge for foreign visitors to access high volume sites.
Cathedral Cove / Te Whanganui-a-Hei, Tongariro Crossing, Milford Track, and Aoraki Mount Cook will be the locations initially looked at, Conservation Minister Tama Potaka said.
He said this is where foreigners often make up 80 percent of all visitors.
"It's only fair that at these special locations, foreign visitors make an additional contribution of between $20 and $40 per person."
New Zealanders will not be charged.
Tama Potaka says initially, four sites will have charges for foreign visitors.
Photo:
RNZ / Samuel Rillstone
The Prime Minister has addressed National members at the annual party conference, capping off a week in which MPs attempted to steer public minds back toward the government's cost-of-living policies.
When asked earlier this week what his message to party faithful would be, [Luxon said the nation was "https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/political/568770/luxon-to-tell-national-faithful-we-re-turning-the-corner turning the corner]".
"This country's got great potential and a great future ahead of it, and we've just got to keep working at it."
National's deputy leader Nicola Willis said the conference would be focused on the steps the government was taking to make the country "an easier, better place to do business, to hire people, to create well paying jobs".
Party ministers will hold panels on health, education, law and order, agriculture, and the economy and cost of living as part of the annual event.
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