The Taxpayers' Union is supporting the Department of Conservation’s discussion document that includes a proposal to charge for access to sites in the conservation estate, as long as that means taxpayers end up footing less of the bill.

Commenting on the Government-led directive, Taxpayers’ Union Communications Officer, Alex Emes, said:

“Taxpayers are right to applaud DOC’s decision to consider alternative paths of raising revenue without burdening taxpayers.”

“With 83 percent of DOC’s current budget coming from the taxpayer tab, the department is correct in looking for ways to only charge those using its services.”

“User pay systems are in use all around the world, and lower the burden on taxpayers footing the bill. The DOC now needs to use these resources to lower the extreme proportion of funding they currently receive from the taxpayer.”

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