Government rejects plan to bar cruise ships from Milford Sound

The Government rejected plans to ban cruise ships in Milford Sound. Photo / 123rf

By RNZ

The Government has rejected a vision to ban cruise ships from Milford Sound and close its airstrip while announcing $15.2 million for infrastructure upgrades and conservation projects.

In 2021, a masterplan for the destination was unveiled, making a raft of recommendations including not allowing cruise ships in the inner sound and closing the airstrip, before undergoing feasibility testing.

The reasoning given at the time was the airstrip was in a poor state, exposed to flooding and tsunami risks, expensive to rebuild to a modern standard and only carried about 3% of visitors while the visual impact and risk of cruise ships conflicted with the majority of land-based visitors.

Last year, the Milford Opportunities Project reported to ministers on the feasibility of the masterplan, which also included recommendations to create a park and ride system to reduce congestion, and charge overseas visitors a fee.

Tourism and Hospitality Minister Louise Upston said Piopiotahi played a key role in helping the country’s tourism sector to bounce back.

“We are supporting the local economy and providing certainty for operators by enabling cruise ships and aircraft to continue to access the fjord, rejecting a previous proposal to ban this,” she said.

While documents released by the Department of Conservation suggested local sentiments towards banning cruise were positive, the airstrip removal prompted a backlash from tourism operators who said it could discourage visitors and impact livelihoods.

Conservation Minister Tama Potaka has announced the Government would invest $15.2 million in the region as part of the first tranche of decisions from the Milford Opportunities Project with aims to sustainably grow tourism while protecting the taonga.

“This iconic Unesco World Heritage site in Fiordland attracts more than a million visitors a year and pumps about $200m into the regional economy, creating jobs and boosting incomes,” he said.

The funding would go towards new and enhanced short stops, including an alpine nature walk in Gertrude Valley, improving flood protection at Cleddau River, cleaning up Little Tahiti landfill – which received Government funding last year, and much-needed new facilities at Deepwater Basin.

The funding would come from the International Visitor Levy and about $7m from the Department of Conservation’s capital works programme.

“For Ngāi Tahu, Piopiotahi holds special significance as the final masterpiece of atua and land-shaper Tū Te Rakiwhānoa,” he said.

The next steps were for the DoC to engage with other stakeholders including Ngāi Tahu on further initiatives.

“These include collaborating on investment opportunities along Milford corridor, developing a multi-year investment plan for the area, and considering improved planning tools, such as a Special Amenities Area within Fiordland National Park,” Potaka said.

-RNZ