Overview

• Implementation of tourist entry fees is scheduled for 2027, with the government expecting to raise NZ$62 million annually to maintain high-traffic conservation areas.
• Foreign visitors will pay NZ$20–NZ$40 at Cathedral Cove/Te Whanganui-a-Hei, Tongariro Crossing, the Milford Track/Milford Sound and Aoraki Mount Cook, while New Zealand citizens retain free access.
• The fee scheme is embedded in a broader conservation law overhaul that loosens restrictions on commercial concessions and expedites land exchanges on protected estates.
• Officials contend the reforms will support post-recession recovery by creating jobs, boosting wages and securing dedicated funding for tourism infrastructure.
• Environmental groups and opposition figures warn the changes mark the most significant dilution of conservation safeguards in a generation, risking endemic species and native habitats.