Two new Great Walks

DOC is open for submissions on two newly upgraded walks. What do you think? I imagine most of us here are nonplussed about the idea altogether. But I wonder if there could be some iddas that work... around Aotea, Coromandel, or Northland. I would say kauri country but the kauri have enough problems at the moment.

http://www.doc.govt.nz/get-involved/have-your-say/all-consultations/2017/selecting-new-great-walks/ DOC have shifted the goalpost like the wind shifts great walks are supposed to only be in National parks in areas of significance that stand out for their high conservation value... but now there is really $$$ to be made from the great walks marketing brand, despite DOC saying they are making a loss on them, they will put them up anywhere where they can maximise profit, i'm expecting a great walk through the shopping districts of auckland... how about the Avon river... the National govt are turning our parks into disney parks while conservation is being severely wrecked and DOC are forced to march to the drum beat of National and their drive for tourism dollars.... meanwhile the tongariro crossing is covered in excrement and toilet paper blowing in the wind... as DOC take in concession dollars from tourist shuttles and guiding companies... stand up and fight this stupidity and vote for a govt that actually cares about saving the forests and native species instead of extracting maximum dollar out of a limited part of the NZ landscape..

I would vote for a government that actually cares irrespective of it's colour. But there doesn't seem to be any flavour that does actually care.

@Kreig, what do you mean by struggling financially? I'm uneasy about local economies being a factor in choosing to put a Great Walk somewhere. It sets a precedent for local governments to lobby for DOC to spend central funds in places where it mightn't be most efficient for what we're actually funding DOC for. The Pike29 walk may be justified on its own merits but I was miffed when Nick Smith went on record boasting that a justification was boosting the local economy. Now any time a mayor wans DOC to spend money on their patch, they can point at Pike29 and argue "but you did it for them".

its eco tourism on the conservation estate the dep of conservation are putting a large amount of their limited resources into eco tourism now at the expense of conservation because the current govt have ordered it.