Uturn on visitor taxes

THE National Party will review its stance on visitor levies to help places such as Queenstown, new leader Simon Bridges says.

While in government, National was firmly opposed to any sort of additional tourism tax, to the frustration of Queenstown Lakes Mayor Jim Boult and the resort’s tourism heavyweights.

They are keen for visitors to pick up the tab for some of the infrastructure required to service Queenstown’s fastgrowing tourist population, especially given the resort’s small ratepayer base.

Mr Bridges said this week while ‘‘a number of the arguments we made in government were strong, we’re not going to hem ourselves in unnecessarily’’.

With new tourism and local government spokesmen onboard, ‘‘we want to make sure that we look at things with a bit of openness and freshness’’.

He accepted that increased visitor numbers have put ‘‘significant pressure on infrastructure’’.

‘‘What we did in government was we went down the path of creating the tourism infrastructure fund.

‘‘In relation to the visitor levy there are some downsides to it — the complication of administering it, the efficiency of it and the desire to make sure that we are not perceived as too expensive.’’

However, Mr Bridges said he was committed to reviewing the matter.

‘‘Whether that means coming to the same position, ultimately, or a new one, we’re going to have some openness about that.’’

Mr Boult said he welcomed Mr Bridges’ ‘‘refreshing new approach to the matter, and look forward to working with him to progress this issue’’.

‘‘I am also aware that both our ‘local’ National MPs, Jacqui Dean and Hamish Walker, are favourably disposed to a visitor levy and supportive of the work council is doing in this area.’’

Mr Boult admitted he was ‘‘always disappointed by my inability to make progress on this matter with the previous government’’.

Tourism Minister Kelvin Davis, asked to comment on Mr Bridges’ change of heart, said he was considering options for charging international visitors, including a levy, and had not made any firm decisions yet.

‘‘No single funding mechanism is likely to be the ‘silver bullet’ to resolving how to fund visitorrelated infrastructure.

‘‘Councils already have a range of options, including targeted rates [often referred to as a bed tax] and bedpan charges [charging per toilet], user charges [car parks, water, entry fees] and partnering with the private sector, for example leasing land or building space to commercial operators.’’

Mr Davis added that the second round of the Government’s Tourism Infrastructure Fund would be launched soon, while Local Government Minister Nanaia Mahuta was planning a review of local government funding.