Jetboaters want park access
Jetboaters are worried they will be shut out of Aoraki/Mt Cook National Park if proposed changes are implemented.
The draft Aoraki/Mt Cook National Park management plan proposes to extend the boundaries of the park to include the river beds of the Hooker, Tasman and Godley Rivers, which are currently managed by the Mackenzie District Council’s district plan.
As it stands, jetboaters are allowed to use certain parts of the Godley River and Tasman River, but this will cease if the management plan goes ahead with a move to ban jetboating within the park’s boundaries.
Jetboating New Zealand’s submission on the draft Aoraki/Mt Cook National Park management plan, which was accompanied by dozens of submissions supporting it, suggests provision should be made for jetboats ‘‘in a way that preserves the unique qualities of the National Park’’.
"The draft plan fails to assess the effects of motorised craft, particularly jetboats ... the proposed prohibition on motorised craft fails to identify the different characteristics of different parts of the park,’’ the submission says.
‘‘The effects of jetboats on fauna and flora in braided river systems are minor or less than minor.’’
While Jetboating New Zealand supports the inclusion of Godley River to the Park, it argues it is ‘‘unreasonable and unfair to deprive members the use of rivers they have boated on and enjoyed for many years by incorporation into the National Park’’.
‘‘There is no evidence or analysis of the effects of motorised craft on the lower sections of the rivers ... the failure to analyse the effects of motorised craft of the lower sections of the rivers demonstrates how the proposed prohibition in the draft plan is unreasonable and does not take account of different circumstances and characteristics in different parts of the Park.’’
The submission also notes that the proposed restrictions on jetboating are greater than those for aircraft.
‘‘Because the draft plan does not identify the effects of motorised craft compared to aircraft, the draft plan fails to properly identify the intrinsic values of the Park.’’
The Aoraki/Mt Cook National Park draft management plan is currently in limbo as it awaits legal challenges from Ngai Tahu.
Jetboating New Zealand chairman Paul Mullan said it would be inappropriate to comment while the plan was in limbo.
However, Federated Mountain Clubs president Peter Wilson said DOC had ‘‘got it right this time’’, and the jetboating fraternity needed to sit down with DOC about the issues.