DOC catches hundreds of illegal walking and tour guides operating in Fiordland

Monday, 8 July 2019

Hundreds of illegal tour guides have been operating in Fiordland. (File photo)

Hundreds of tour guides have been acting without permission from the Department of Conservation and hosting guided tours to tourists throughout Fiordland.

More than 200 individuals were caught operating guiding operations in the area without permission last summer.

They were offering tours or guide services for short walks and photo opportunities on public conservation land, Department of Conservation southern South Island director Aaron Fleming said.

'Short walks are typically under three hours. The size of guide groups varied, from just one person to buses of 50 or more passengers, and were primarily overseas tourists.'

* 'Illegal' helicopter landings continue**

Gelignite was used to blast tunnels in Fiordland's granite mountains in the 1960s and 70s.

Destination Fiordland manager Madeline Peacock said all operators should be working within their concessions.

'What we don't know is whether these people are operating locally, nationally or internationally. Are they bus groups coming from Christchurch, for example? Are they operating on the Milford Rd or elsewhere?

'Some operators work really hard to make sure they are working within their concessions and sticking to the rules and it's not fair on them if there are operators that aren't.'

DOC undertook a targeted compliance programme focusing on guiding and transport operators from October 2018 until April 2019.

Of the 2445 activities checked in Fiordland, 79 per cent were parking, 13 per cent were guiding, and 6 per cent were from a joint government agency operation that targeted drivers on the Milford Rd.

Twenty-one per cent of the parking activities were non-compliant and 67 per cent of the guiding activities were non-compliant.

Of the 324 guides checked, 217 held no concession and were therefore considered to be in breach, he said.

Fleming said there have been 12 matters that could not be resolved locally and had been escalated to the National Compliance Team for further investigation.

These were cases where people ignored correspondence, their concession requirements, or the rules. Outcomes for illegal operators could be a final written warning or prosecution. For existing concessionaires, outcomes could include probation, suspension, or termination.

'Our main focus is on compliance. Out in the national parks we educate and inform, and back in the office we write to operators, making sure they are aware of requirements, and give them a deadline to obtain the necessary concession or act within concession requirements.

'Most operators have been willing once they understand the importance of compliance and the rules that apply to their operations.'

Fleming said there were still operators in the process of being contacted or investigated, and at this stage DOC was unable to provide figures.

'We consider a case to be resolved once the operators have agreed to cease illegal activity, or once they have obtained the relevant concession.'

Anyone wanting to run a commercial operation on public conservation land must apply for a concession, and their operation must be consistent with the principles laid out in DOC's legislation, policies and management plans.

To clarify the distinction between alleged illegal and breaches, alleged illegals were operators who did not hold a concession for a particular site but were guiding there commercially, he said.

Condition breaches were when operators do hold a concession for a site but were not meeting their conditions – for example, exceeding permitted limits around party sizes, numbers of trips, or parking on public conservation land without holding the necessary approval.