Cafe Owner Protests Punakaiki Parking Charges

Thursday, 24 July 2025, 5:22 pm
Article: Lois Williams - Local Democracy Reporter

A Punakaiki café owner is urging the Conservation Department to rethink its plan to charge for parking at the famous Pancake Rocks on the West Coast.

Grant Parrett told a meeting of the West Coast Tai o Poutini Conservation Board this week (subs: Tuesday 22/7) that parking charges create de facto entry fee to (Paparoa) National Park, which was unlawful.

Conservation Minister Tama Potaka has asked for a trial of paid parking to boost revenue.

DOC is aiming to launch a pilot programme in October at Punakaiki, Franz Josef and White Horse Hill at Aoraki Mt Cook.

Project manager John Dore told the Board that DOC had serious budget pressures including a 30 percent shortfall in funding for its visitor network and a huge deficit in the amount available for biodiversity.

“For protection of all endangered species we have a budget of $300 million - but a need of $2.3 billion," Mr Dore said.

Climate events in the last few years had added $90 million in costs, he added.

Paid parking was a tool used internationally in nature parks and would help manage overcrowding at busy sites, he told the Board.

But Mr Parrett said the move would turn public conservation land into a Wilsons-style parking lot, and urged the Board to oppose it.

“However you label it, it’s a National Park entry fee; it contravenes the National Parks Act and it diminishes DOC’s social license to operate.”

There were no free parks at Punakaiki because they had been removed to make room for the new Visitor Centre development and people would have no option but to pay to walk around the Pancake Rocks, Mr Parrett said.

Unlike Franz Josef or Aoraki Mt Cook, Punakaiki was not a tourist destination but a stop-off attraction for people driving the scenic Coast Road, and for most of the year there was no congestion or capacity problem in the carpark, he said.

“Parking fees will disadvantage local people who call in for a coffee or to stretch their legs, and we don’t want this,” he said.

While DOC owned the land, taxpayers had funded the $45 million Dolomite Point Visitor Centre development and the building was gifted by the last Government to manawhenua, NgatiWaewae, who now leased office space back to DOC.

The public has paid for this development and costs should be kept low, he said.

"I am surprised that the iwi has supported the paid parking trial … unless they stand to benefit from it," Mr Parrett said.

If people had to pay for parking they might be less likely to pay for Ngati Waewae’s interactive visitor experience inside, he suggested.

Ngati Waewae’s representative on the Conservation Board, Francois Tumahai, objected.

“I disagree with everything you’ve said. The cost of the building was not $45 million and we're not getting a cent from the project. In the early days we suggested we might provide (parking) wardens … that’s it.”

Mr Parrett suggested it would be good if the iwi put out a statement to that effect in the interests of transparency.

The iwi leader responded: “You’re the one causing all the grief - you put it out."

Board chair Dr Mike Legge closed off the discussion and thanked Mr Parrett for his contribution to the public forum.

The Dolomite Point Visitor Centre, funded by the Provincial Growth Fund, was budgeted to cost $26 million but the project – including the new carparks – received a funding boost of $15 million in 2023 and cost a total of $40.9 million.

The paid parking trial, including charging technology and upgrades to carparks at the three sites, is being funded by $3.8 million from the International Visitor Conservation and Tourism Levy.

DOC plans to release its pricing strategy early next month and hold public drop-in sessions at Punakaiki, Franz Josef and Aoraki in mid August.

Submissions close on August 26 for Punakaiki, and September 30 for Aoraki.

*The National Parks Act 1980 gives the public freedom of entry and access to the parks "so that they may receive in full measure the inspiration, enjoyment, recreation and other benefits that may be derived from mountains, forest, sounds, seacoasts, lakes, rivers and other natural features.”

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