“The lack of a long-term sustainability plan for helicopter tourism is concerning considering the frequency of helicopters and the number of helicopter companies operating in the area and landing on the glacier, both of which cause environmental emissions and noise pollution,” says Climate Liberation Aotearoa spokesperson Jared van Vorsselen.

Climate Liberation Aotearoa recently displayed several large banners around the Aoraki/Mt Cook area to protest for a new long-term sustainability plan for helicopters in Aoraki National Park.

Banners were photographed reading messages such as ‘HELI TOURS MELT ICE’ and ‘TOURIST HELIS MELT GLACIERS’ to draw attention to the environmental issues of helicopters that have remained unregulated by the Aoraki/Cook National Park Management Plan for the last 21 years.

Over 3 days in the lower Tasman Glacier valley, we estimated a helicopter flew overhead every 15-20 minutes. This is comparable to statistics from 2024, where a similar Aoraki heli-tourism action observed 49 helicopters over 4 1/2 hours in 2024.

Although the Department of Conservation is required to review national park plans every 10 years, no new Aoraki/Mt Cook National Park Plan has been produced in over 20 years. While some amendments have been made, they have failed to establish a clear, long-term sustainability plan for helicopter tourism. The current plan, last updated in 2004, relies on the concessions system to “minimise adverse effects on the natural values of the Park and on other Park visitors” (Aoraki National Park Management Plan, 2004), but its outdated nature is now creating significant challenges. Mark Quickfall, founder and CEO of Totally Tourism, says addressing concessions has been delayed while waiting for the plan to be updated, leaving operators without the security of tenure needed for long-term sustainability decisions. “How can helicopter companies plan and invest to operate more sustainably without security of tenure?” he asks, adding that “the system is letting everyone down” (2025).

“It is ironic that DOC is the face of conservation in New Zealand, but their lack of action is directly delaying sustainable future planning in Aoraki National Park,” said Climate Liberation Aotearoa spokesperson Jared van Vorsselen.

Climate Liberation Aotearoa does not oppose the use of helicopters for search-and-rescue or for conservation work. Instead we urge the Department of Conservation to update the park plan to include a long-term sustainability plan for helicopter tourism in Aoraki National Park.

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