Publication cover showing the view from
Gertrude Saddle overlooking Milford
Sound/Piopiotahi
Summary
This report summarises the third and fourth seasons of monitoring that occured between December 2008 - April 2009, and December 2009 - April 2010. The monitoring aimed to assess the effects of fixed wing and helicopter aircraft overflights on visitors in Fiordland National Park.
The monitoring consisted of self-administered questionnaires and was part of an ongoing programme to fulfil the monitoring requirements of section 5.5.2 of the Fiordland National Park Management Plan 2007. The monitoring provides information to the Department and aircraft operators to assist them in managing the effects of aircraft activities. Monitoring sites consisted of The Milford track, Hollyford track, Routeburn track, and Gertrude Valley in 2008/09, and Lake Gunn and the Gertrude Valley in 2009/10.
Levels of annoyance varied by site, but overall results from the monitoring have indicated that the impacts from aircraft activity around the Milford area have decreased since the 2007/08 season. The Milford, Hollyford, and Gertrude Valley tracks still have annoyance levels that are close to the threshold which could easily be breached with only a slight increase in annoyance.
The decrease in annoyance is likely to be associated with the decrease in aircraft activity, which is likely due to the global financial crisis affecting visitor flows and available expenditure. A strong correlation was identified and demonstrated between the visitor group spectrum the Department manages sites for and the level of annoyance at aircraft activity.
The report recommends that irrespective of the Minister's decision regarding concession allocation at Milford Aerodrome, the Department should continue to work with operators to develop voluntary solutions as well as form a code of conduct for operators in Milford which concessionaires are to operate under.. Operators should continue to be encouraged to look for technological advances to decrease sounds emitted from aircraft, as well as to avoid overflying sensitive areas. The report also provides a number of recommendations for future monitoring.
Viewing this document
This document is currently only available on this website as a PDF or other file such as Word or Excel. If you can't view this file please get in touch with the listed contact to request another format or a hard copy.
About PDFs and other inaccessible content.