Northern Advocate
  • Northern Advocate home
  • Latest news
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Sport
  • Property
  • Video
  • Death notices
  • Classifieds

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • On The Up
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
  • Sport
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Residential property listings

Locations

  • Far North
  • Kaitaia
  • Kaikohe
  • Bay of Islands
  • Whangārei
  • Kaipara
  • Mangawhai
  • Dargaville

Media

  • Video
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-Editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

Weather

  • Kaitaia
  • Whangārei
  • Dargaville

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Northern Advocate

Overseas tourists targeted to boost DoC funds

Lindy Laird
Reporter·Northern Advocate·
24 Aug, 2017 10:30 PM2 mins to read
‌

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save
    Share this article
SAVING KIWI: Conservation Minister Maggie Barry in Northland last weekend. Photo/Lindy Laird

SAVING KIWI: Conservation Minister Maggie Barry in Northland last weekend. Photo/Lindy Laird

Overseas tourists will help protect New Zealand's natural world by paying more to stay in Department of Conservation huts and other facilities.

A new charging regime for foreign visitors is expected to be included in a pre-election announcement by Conservation Minister Maggie Barry.

New Zealanders will be exempted from paying the new fees, and beds or huts will remain available to them through a quota system, Ms Barry told the Northern Advocate earlier this week.

"As a Government, we're firmly of the view tourism should contribute directly. Are we going to be doubling the border levy? No."

The policy announcement is expected to outline the Government's plans for "differential charging" - higher fees for overseas visitors, students and children than New Zealanders.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"New Zealanders pay rates and taxes. I consider that to be our contribution," Ms Barry said.

She told the children from overseas would be charged the same fees as adults for staying at Department of Conservation (DoC) facilities.

Incoming tourists would be charged at the point of booking.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Money made in a DoC area would go back into that conservation area.

The Conservation Ministry was unable to reply before edition time to questions about which, if any, Northland DoC facilities might be affected.

There are 16 DoC camping grounds in Northland, and cabins in wilderness settings at Peach Cove, Lane Cove, Cape Brett and Puketi Forest.

The concession rates paid by private, iwi and other enterprises running tourist or conservation support operations in the DoC estate would also be raised, Ms Barry said.

Discover more

Nearly $800,000 of government funding comes to Northland

17 Nov 11:00 PM

Northland concession holders include wildlife and eco-tours by Footprints Waipoua and Twilight Encounters.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

There nearly 6000 concessions operating throughout New Zealand, including marine tourism.

The fees and contracts paid by companies operating within protected areas are failing to support conservation efforts, Ms Barry said.

A study by Victoria University released earlier this year suggested DoC spent roughly a third of its budget subsidising tourism, but received little in return.

In contrast, only nine per cent of DoC's annual budget came from the tourism industry, which included concessions from operators, tourist user fees, donations and sponsorship.

Save
    Share this article

Latest from Northern Advocate

Northern Advocate

Election 2026: What Northland voters need to know about new rules

10 May 04:00 AM
Northern Advocate

Five Northland mums on life, love and what Mother’s Day means for them

09 May 05:00 PM
Premium
Northern Advocate

'Heartbreaking': Hot pools tragedy – mother dies in mystery circumstances after night caper at once-famous fun park

09 May 08:40 AM

Sponsored

Future of wealth in NZ: A conversation with ASB CEO Vittoria Shortt

03 May 11:20 PM
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Northern Advocate

Election 2026: What Northland voters need to know about new rules
Northern Advocate

Election 2026: What Northland voters need to know about new rules

Election 2026 timeline explained: Enrolment deadlines and advance voting rules.

10 May 04:00 AM
Five Northland mums on life, love and what Mother’s Day means for them
Northern Advocate

Five Northland mums on life, love and what Mother’s Day means for them

09 May 05:00 PM
Premium
Premium
'Heartbreaking': Hot pools tragedy – mother dies in mystery circumstances after night caper at once-famous fun park
Northern Advocate

'Heartbreaking': Hot pools tragedy – mother dies in mystery circumstances after night caper at once-famous fun park

09 May 08:40 AM


Future of wealth in NZ: A conversation with ASB CEO Vittoria Shortt
Sponsored

Future of wealth in NZ: A conversation with ASB CEO Vittoria Shortt

03 May 11:20 PM
NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • The Northern Advocate e-edition
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Subscribe to the Northern Advocate
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The Northern Advocate
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • NZME Digital Performance Marketing
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • © Copyright 2026 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP