Photo: SUPPLIED / DEPARTMENT OF CONSERVATION
Documents show several groups are worried car parking fees at major hotspots will see tourists parking on the roadside.
Fees of $5 an hour began at car parks in Aoraki-Mount Cook, Punakaiki-Pancake Rocks and Franz Josef/Wairau on Monday in a pilot scheme to help pay for upkeep.
The carpark fees pilot programme at the White Horse Hill carpark at Aoraki Mt Cook, the Dolomite Point carpark at Punakaiki, and Glacier Valley at Franz Josef lasts until June 2026.
Daily fees are $25 at Aoraki and $20 for Franz Josef and Punakaiki. Tourism operators with a concession will be exempt, and locals will be able to apply for a $10 annual pass.
Cars are detected by camera entering and exiting the car parks, with a separate company - Stellar - contracted to both install those cameras and enforce debt collection for those caught
Continue Reading on RNZ
This preview shows approximately 15% of the article. Read the full story on the publisher's website to support quality journalism.