Park charges?

A lot of National Park and other tourist facilities are provided free of charge to everyone in New Zealand.

Should tourists be charged?

Should there be more charges for locals? User pays?

– https://initiativeblog.com/2016/12/12/private-walks/

by Pete George on January 10, 2017  •  Permalink
Posted in General
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Posted by Pete George on January 10, 2017

https://yournz.org/2017/01/10/park-charges/

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34 Comments

  1. Noel

     /  January 10, 2017

    Please keep these comments hush hush.
    Afterall pollies are always looking for an excuse to devolve responsibility and move costs elsewhere.

  2. Gezza

     /  January 10, 2017

    NO CHARGES FOR LOCALS.
    Wonder how they’d identify the foreigners for differential fees?

    • Alan Wilkinson

       /  January 10, 2017

      The Germans always arrive first to hog the best bunks.

      • Gezza

         /  January 10, 2017

        That is quit likely true, Alan. And they interrupt everyone’s sleep. When my big bro did his OE in Europe a couple decades back, the Germans were busy conquering all the hostels.
        He said all the Germans were buggers for coming in last at night & switching the lights on, waking everyone up. Sometimes the Anzacs would put a chair up against the door to make a point. Are they still a bit like that, the Germans?

        • Alan Wilkinson

           /  January 10, 2017

          It’s a while since I’ve checked but last time I did they were splendidly self-absorbed.

          • Blazer

             /  January 10, 2017

            self absorbed!whatever you do…don’t mention the ..vank…I mean the..var,I mean..Hogans Heroes.

          • Gezza

             /  January 10, 2017

            I’ve just remembered, he said when he was in Madrid, some ozzer called out “Are the Germans in yet.” “No.” “Right”, and he unscrewed all the light bulbs. 😀

            • Pete Kane

               /  January 10, 2017

              John Cleese please G (you know hoe tech incompetent I am)?

            • Gezza

               /  January 10, 2017

              🌹 Manuel: Que❓ 😳

            • Pete Kane

               /  January 10, 2017

              Provider of German accom. without mentioning …………..

          • Gezza

             /  January 11, 2017

            By request, not mentioning any names.

  3. Blazer

     /  January 10, 2017

    micro chip them on arrival.

    • Gezza

       /  January 10, 2017

      Technically feasible, probably on the cards for us all eventually, but they have enough problems herding the mob through the gates @ the airports smartly enough already, & there’s the ‘tell friends, family & the Internet about your experience’ factor to consider.

      What else have you got?

      • Blazer

         /  January 10, 2017

        voice recognition barriers …you have to say …’what a nice house’ in the queens english to gain access.(or Te Reo)

        • Gezza

           /  January 10, 2017

          Tourism New Zealand needs you. You’re good. 👍

  4. Klik Bate

     /  January 10, 2017

    Why don/t they just contract it out …

  5. David

     /  January 10, 2017

    As demand increases, there needs to be some form of charging to manage it. Getting a workable system that doesn’t then encourage a huge bureaucracy and escalating costs is challenging.

  6. Pete Kane

     /  January 10, 2017

    On the wider front of ‘foreign rescue’, I’ve long considered that if one can afford to travel and then tramp in our parks (often using facilities paid for and labored for by our tramping clubs, deer stalkers etc) then you can at least afford a reliable locator beacon. And perhaps look to an insurance requirement. (Alan my sister complains of Israelis re the huts Happy New Year from Port Nic.)

    • Blazer

       /  January 10, 2017

      in Thailand alot of tourist accomodation(not 5 star hotels) have signs…No Israelis’…..too rude,arrogant,disrespectful and generally obnoxious apparantly.

  7. PartisanZ

     /  January 10, 2017

    On the other side of the ‘user pays’ coin is the fact we still pay our taxes too …
    So the more things that are removed from our taxpayer funding … Where do those tax dollars go?

    Is this public land a public amenity or a privatised ‘commodity’ …?
    An industry? … An SOE …?

    Philosophically and ideologically there’s deeper, more insipient messages embedded here: – People don’t appreciate things if those things are free; if they don’t have to pay for them.
    – Nothing can be remain without placing a monetary value on it …

    • Blazer

       /  January 10, 2017

      no people do not attribute any value to things that are…free….especially …advice.

    • NOEL

       /  January 10, 2017

      When the SOE system was established it was to facilitate the eventual sale of the asset.
      i.e. produce a return to the Crown and when circumstances were right put up for sale.

      Not sure if DOC is a SOE. Probably not.

      • Blazer

         /  January 10, 2017

        put it up for sale to some lucky company at a discounted price.Telecom was such a good deal for Gibbs and Fay,that Gibbs bankrolled a political party to try and grab some more bargains.

  8. Gezza

     /  January 10, 2017

    “Is this public land a public amenity or a privatised ‘commodity’ …?
    An industry? … An SOE …?”

    It’s a national treasure. A taonga. Owned by the people & held in trust by the state. It belongs to us. However it doesn’t belong to tourists, who don’t pay for its upkeep & development via their income taxes. They might be happy to contribute a fee towards that upkeep if they are used to this in other countries. How much being free to access is a factor in their decision to come here, I’m not sure.

  9. paul scott

     /  January 10, 2017

    As mentiobned above ,WQesterners pay for every National park in Thaland, and the Thais get in free.
    I have never seen anyone grumble there on the honesty basis.
    Mind you I don’t ;look at all Thai.
    It brings up the subject of free camping. Free camping is a ludicrous concept.
    It is too often abused. New Zealand is not here for Europeans to mess up and leave to local rate payers.
    The Rangers see me free camping in Australia, and when they see me picking up rubbish they come to have a talk. The cops also check over night campers.