‘Sustainable’ funding for tourism call
WELLINGTON: A $15 million boost to help communities deal with booming tourist numbers is welcome, but more sustainable funding is needed to meet the influx, a council’s lobby group says.
Tourism Minister Kelvin Davis last week announced a new $14.9 million investment in tourism infrastructure and cycle trails around the country.
The bulk of it was awarded to various local councils for 30 visitorrelated infrastructure projects and four feasibility studies.
Mr Davis acknowledged increasing tourist numbers, while good for New Zealand, was putting pressure on infrastructure in many areas around the country.
‘‘The projects selected for funding are essential for some of the communities that really need help to develop infrastructure at those places with high numbers of visitors in comparison to ratepayers, for example.’’
As a starting point, the Government was cofunding car parks, toilets and other facilities in popular visitor spots from Kaimaumau, north of Kaitaia, to Lumsden in Southland.
It was also cofunding facilities at Blackball on the West Coast to support the planned Paparoa and Pike 29 Memorial tracks, and a new car park and walkways at Lake Tekapo’s Church of the Good Shepherd.
Other areas required more significant infrastructure. For instance, in Hanmer Springs the wastewater system would be upgraded.
A second, $10.7 million round of funding through the Tourism Infrastructure Fund was expected early next year, while a further $700,000 would be invested in the upkeep of seven Great Rides of Nga Haerenga, the New Zealand Cycle Trail.
Local Government New Zealand (LGNZ) president Dave Cull said while the extra funding was welcome, his group would keep advocating for a longterm, sustainable funding mechanism that let visitors contribute to the infrastructure they used.
‘‘As Tourism Minister Kelvin Davis says, increasing tourist numbers are putting pressure on infrastructure in many areas around the country, especially for those communities with small ratepayer bases.’’
During the election, Labour had campaigned on charging international visitors a $25 per trip levy and Mr Davis had now asked officials to prepare advice on implementing a levy.
Mr Cull believed more sustainable funding such as a visitor levy or share of GST was essential to help support the tourism industry and councils and communities meet the infrastructure needs that come with an influx of people.
‘‘A sustainable funding source that is fairly raised and allocated and applied to capital and operational expenditure, and maintenance, of tourism infrastructure is vital,’’ he said.
‘‘Whatever its form, either a levy or portion of GST, we are now urging the Government to partner with local government on details around how a new, sustainable funding mechanism will work, and variations of this for places like Queenstown where the need is different.’’
LGNZ has also called for a coordinated, nationwide approach to biodiversity management.
It recently put out a report highlighting a need for strong leadership and clarity of roles and responsibilities across all players; agreement where efforts should be targeted locally, regionally and nationally; being able to measure progress; and new, fitforpurpose guidelines and legislation.
That included a proposed ‘‘National Biodiversity Management Authority’’, comprising all major statutory and financial players, including local government and iwi. — NZME