Law change for tourist charges at Cathedral Cove, Tongariro Crossing

Friday, 8 May 2026

The Government is considering charging international tourists to visit places like the Tongariro Alpine Crossing.

The Government is pressing ahead with plans to charge International tourists to visit some of New Zealand’s most popular natural attractions under sweeping reforms to the way the conservation estate is run.

Conservation Minister Tama Potaka told the Waikato Times the Government was considering visitor charges at sites including Cathedral Cove, the Tongariro Alpine Crossing, Aoraki/Mt Cook and Milford Sound, a move first signalled last year.

It’s estimated the Charge would be in the range of $20-$40.

“We’re going to charge international visitors in some places, generate a bit more money, then we’ll reinvest.”

Potaka said the money would be reinvested into conservation work, including pest control, biodiversity protection, and maintaining tracks and huts.

The proposed visitor charges are part of the Government’s Conservation Amendment Bill, which aims to modernise conservation laws and make it easier and faster for businesses to operate on public conservation land.

Cathedral Cove may soon require a ticket for international tourists under proposed conservation reform legislation.

Potaka described the reforms as a “once in a generation change”.

He said the current system, based on laws nearly 40 years old, was no longer fit for purpose and had become “clunky”, with concession applications often taking years to process.

“When you don’t have certainty around getting a concession, you can’t reinvest or invest in the conservation site.”

The reforms have also sparked concerns they could make it easier for mining companies to access conservation land.

Potaka rejected that claim, saying mining approvals sit under separate legislation, including the Crown Minerals Act, and that environmental protections would remain in place.

Conservation Minister Tama Potaka says the money will fund pest control, biodiversity protection, and track and hut maintenance.

“Mining is actually done through the Crown Minerals Act, not the Conservation Act.”

He said nearly half of all Department of Conservation land was already “off-limits to mining”.

Under the proposed changes, DOC would still manage access across conservation land to reach mineral sites, while mining companies would still require approvals under existing mining laws.

“We need strong protections for anyone who wants to do mining and making sure they’ve got bonds and trailing liability and they actually look after the place.”

The bill would also introduce clearer processes for applying Treaty obligations and establish a national conservation policy statement to guide the management of conservation land.

That policy statement would replace separate management plans for conservation land and national parks.

Potaka said he hoped the bill would become law before the election.

“The thing is getting it right rather than going fast and going in a path that is enduring.”