Source: Radio New Zealand
The peak of Mt Cook. (File photo) FLORIAN BRILL
A $5 per-hour parking fee at some popular tourist spots including Aoraki-Mount Cook raised $214,000 in its first month.
The Department of Conservation (Doc), began charging at Punakaiki, Franz Josef and Aoraki-Mount Cook in December, as part of a trial.
DoC’s operations manager at Aoraki-Mt Cook Sally Jones, told Morning Report, said at this stage the parking fee was working and $214,000 in a month had been a “great result”.
Jones said free parking was still available in the area on Hooker Valley Rd if people did still want to choose to park somewhere unpaid.
“We anticipated that it may become more of an issue with the introduction of the paid parking pilot so we brought in more staff who are trained on traffic management to manage that road throughout the day.”
Jones said parts of the road could also be closed off it was too dangerous due to being too narrow.
Along with the parking fee, Jones said speed limits had been lowered and an electronic board helped people find if there were any carparks free.
International visitors and locals alike did not seem to be phased by the charge, Jones claimed.
“In fact, some have asked us if that was all. I think they accept the fact that paying to reinvest in a site like a national park seems reasonable.”
Recently, there had been issues with tourists on the Hooker Valley Track ignoring warning signs and closures, but Jones said this too had lessened over Summer.
“I think people don’t want to be seen on camera,” Jones said.
“Also, I think because of the challenging Summer we’ve had people have not been able to see Aoraki so they haven’t been inclined to want to get a better view of it.”
Jones believed this Summer had been one of the worst they’d had in a long time and there hadn’t been many days when Aoraki-Mount Cook was visible.
“So your time on the track would be less than it normally would, so you’re less inclined to want to get around that fence or over the river to get that beautiful Instagram shot… it’s just not there.”
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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
