The Department of Conservation will charge $5 an hour to park at Aoraki Mt Cook as part of a trial starting in December, in an effort to get visitors financially contributing to conservation sites and experiences.
The first 20 minutes will be free to allow for pick-ups, drop-offs and short stays, and there will be a daily capped rate of $25.
Annual passes for locals would be $10 per vehicle per year, while non-residents could get a similar pass for $60.
Commercial tourism operators with a valid concession would be granted an exemption during the trial.
Department of Conservation director of heritage and visitors Catherine Wilson said the prices were similar to sites at Punakaiki and Franz Josef/Waiau where paid carparking was also being trialled.
The proposal has been contentious in some areas. In Punakaiki, one café owner claimed the charges would create a de facto entry fee to Paparoa National Park, which was unlawful. However, this was refuted by the Department of Conservation.
“The prices were decided on once we reviewed all the submissions from locals, tourism operators and businesses,” Wilson said.
Stellar Projects would install payment machines and cameras, and then enforce breach notices for non-payment.
The pilot scheme, requested by Conservation Minister Tama Potaka to boost the department’s revenue, would run until June 2026 and was expected to bring in about $1.5 million across the three sites.
The trial would be reviewed on completion before a decision was made on whether to continue and expand paid parking to other sites.
