Is it time DOC introduced user pays charges for all Aotearoa's national parks great walks and conservations estates including for day trippers? At the moment, overnight adventurers pay to use huts, but for casual day hikers, access to these costly assets is free. A briefing to the Conservation Minister repeatedly sounds the alarm, DOC can't afford to maintain its assets, visitor congestion is an issue, curent fees dont reflect the cost of maintaining huts and tracks and its time to consider more users charges and raising existing charges. Just this week, toilets close to capacity on the Mueller Hut Route on Aoraki Mount Cook forced DOC to close the track to day trippers. In response, a flood of listeners contacted Checkpoint to say user pays is the answer to funding conservation infrastructure. Conservation Minister Tama Potaka speaks to Lisa Owen. [embed] https://players.brightcove.net/6093072280001/default default/index.html?videoId=6347231373112
New Zealand’s most scenic alpine walk and one of the most booked has been closed “for the foreseeable future” after toilets reached capacity. The move to.
New Zealand is justifiably famous for its Great Walks and other multi-day hiking trails, but don’t break out the cooking stove and sleeping bag just yet.