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After receiving more than 150 submissions, the Department of Conservation has released a pricing proposal for paid car parking at two busy tourism sites in Te Waipounamu / South Island.
DOC director of heritage and visitors Catherine Wilson says all submissions have been reviewed, from Iwi, stakeholders, businesses, concessionaires and the community across the two sites of Dolomite Point / Punakaiki and Franz Josef / Waiau.
“The outcome is a pricing proposal which we think is fair and reasonable.
“The pricing proposal aims to answer submitters’ calls for an initial free period, special consideration for locals, and a reasonable price for visitors. It is designed to be simple and easy to understand and provide different fee options tailored to different users of the car parks,” says Catherine.
The details of the pricing proposal are:
- Free parking period for 20 minutes to allow for drop-offs/pick-ups or short stops
- Hourly rate of $5 per hour
- Daily rate of $20 per day
- Annual pass for locals (within district boundaries) of $10 per year, which allows for unlimited access during the year
- Annual pass for other regular visitors for $60 per year
- Concession-holding tourism operators will be able to apply for a parking fee exemption during the pilot, allowing DOC time to assess how parking and the coming access charges at some sites align with Crown activity fees.
The paid parking pilot is planned to start in October 2025 and continue for nine months until the end of June 2026. Paid parking is also planned to be introduced at White Horse Hill, Aoraki Mt Cook in December 2025.
Payment machines will be installed at the sites and cameras will record the entry and exit of vehicles. The company providing paid parking hardware will issue breach notices to vehicles for non-payment.
The introduction of paid parking means visitors can contribute to the facilities and nature they enjoy. DOC’s estimated combined revenue from the Dolomite Point and Franz Josef paid parking pilots is between $1 million and $1.3 million over the nine-month pilot period (October 2025 to June 2026).
“Legislation allows us to charge people fair and reasonable fees to use our facilities, which include campsites, huts and car parks,” says Catherine.
“This is standard practice at many national parks overseas. Most international visitors accept this as a necessary contribution to support the amazing nature they come to New Zealand to enjoy.”
Once the pilot is complete and the outcomes have been reviewed, a decision will be made whether to continue with paid parking at the three sites, and if it should be extended to other busy sites.
For more information visit DOC’s website: Paid parking pilot programme
