Lou Sanson proposes charges for Great Walks

Yeah, certainly wouldn't advocate whole of any departure tax going to DOC. As indeed local councils improving structure do need help, as none of any increased tourist spend from more numbers goes to them, more likely it's going to the govt in increased GST spend, and instead it's locals who are often paying towards things from increased rates. However a cheaper departure tax and some of it to DOC would raise more to them (DOC) than charges for Great Walks - there's a max number on all but the Tongariro crossing in any case, re: hut availability. Also it's not as if all GWs are busy across the whole season, I've not done the Lake Waikaremoana trek for years, but twice in the last 3 years have kayaked around the Lake in late Feb/March and in both cases the huts were mostly empty. Also I'd guess alot of the increased tourist numbers aren't going tramping anyway, a vast amount of increased numbers is Chinese visitors, who are often on coaches and probably only visiting 3 or 4 areas at best.

Have to disagree with you lloydy, the councils are seeing a slice of the increase tourist spend. The increasing number of tourists are causing the economy to grow, a growing economy raises property prices, higher property prices mean more rates for the local council. Lets say tourism stops overnight, what do you think would happen to the average property price in Queenstown and Kaikoura... both would crash through the floor, unemployment would sky-rocket and both towns would enter a rapid decline. The councils budgets would have to be slashed. Kaikoura might struggle on as a rural/fishery service town, Queenstown would be all but screwed.

Miltaris, off topic I guess, but I'm not sure higher property prices automatically means more council take in rates, though having more properties does. However one of the drivers behind higher property prices is the lack of building - so not drastically more properties. If say property prices go up over a period by say 20% but there's no more extra properties, the council rates would be the same unless they increase their total rates spend budget - in which case the same number of households are paying more. Again tourists spending more in the same number of shops doesn't benefit the local councils, the increased spend goes to the business owners, and the govt in the form of more GST and corporate taxes on increased profits. Yes, if more shops, slightly more corporate rates. & similarly yes, if shops close down, the council would take less in rates, with vacant properties and presumably the ultimate owners paying less rates if it's not let.

http://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/afternoons/audio/201821674/should-we-charge-for-nz's-great-walks past president of Federated Mountain Clubs of New Zealand Robin McNeill says it is a complex problem and does not believe charging is the way to go. “I wouldn’t actually change, you’ve always got to be careful what you wish for. Another way of looking at the whole thing, and perhaps Lou and I are of different views here, if there’s 18 percent growth in tourists to NZ why not invest more in the product?” He says New Zealand spends a large amount of money marketing itself, and tourist numbers are growing exponentially, so more of the revenue that flows from that should go into the back country. McNeill says determining who is a tourist, and who a short-term resident or worker could be difficult, and the overheads of administering the charge could soak much of the revenue generated.

To stir things up further, the Prime Minister is on record, noncommittally, as acknowledging that it might be an option to just give DOC more money. http://www.newshub.co.nz/politics/no-rush-to-tax-great-walks-trampers-2016103108 Translation: He's testing the waters to see what sort of public reactions there are to the options he's suggested. Polling public opinion and blowing with its wind as much as possible is how this government rolls.

Another trick is threatening to implement something and subsequently getting all the left movements and activists tied up and in a tizz and then what they threaten doesn't happen. The obsession with public opinion polling comes from aping their handlers: the United States. Of course it didn't work too well for signalling the outcome of the referendum on Brexit.

Kathryn Ryan has been covering this issue yesterday and today. Yesterday (Tuesday) she hosted an extensive interview on Conservation Boards and their role in the current situation. http://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/ninetonoon/audio/201822035/national-parks-under-strain-from-growing-visitor-numbers Right now she's talking to Lou Sanson, and challenging him with a bunch of the issues an feedback raised. [I'll edit this comment with a link when it's online.] Edit: Here is the Lou Sanson interview. http://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/ninetonoon/audio/201822190/-we-need-to-find-new-ways-to-manage-visitors-doc There's a bunch of feedback coming through and being read out at various times (eg. 10.06am this morning 2nd November 2016), but it's harder to link to.