The pilot included car park upgrades and the introduction of paid parking systems. It was designed to help control parking pressures and increase financial support for our special cultural and natural areas.  

Background on the pilot

Paid parking is a tool used globally to manage visitor numbers and contribute to the financial sustainability of popular natural sites.

The purpose of the DOC pilot was to:

• trial a way for visitors at high-use sites to contribute to nature experiences they enjoy
• improve visitor experience 
• align with international best practices.

The pilot was funded by $3.8 million from the International Visitor Conservation and Tourism Levy (IVL).

View documents relating to DOC’s paid car parking pilot.

Pilot locations

The pilot was rolled out at three high-use visitor sites in the South Island: 

• Punakaiki Pancake Rocks, Paparoa National Park
• Franz Josef Glacier, Westland Tai Poutini National Park
• White Horse Hill, Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park.

Community engagement

DOC ran a two-stage engagement process, consulting with mana whenua, local communities and stakeholders on how to make the programme successful. Leaflets explaining the process were distributed:

• Punakaiki paid parking proposal leaflet (PDF, 495K) 
• Franz Josef paid parking proposal leaflet (PDF, 534K)
• Aoraki paid parking pricing proposal leaflet (PDF, 2,567K)

There were drop-in sessions at the locations and two submission periods. Over 150 sbmissions were received.

• Final engagement report on paid parking (PDF, 6,995)
• Paid parking pilot stage two engagement report (PDF, 4,016K)

Changes as a result of feedback through the pilot: Paid parking leaflet Punakaiki, Franz Josef and Aoraki (PDF, 643K)

Final pricing decisions

Final pricing decision for Franz Josef and Punakaiki

• Free parking period for 10 minutes to allow for drop-offs/pick-ups or staying a short time.
• Hourly rate of $2.50 per half-hour.
• Daily rate of $20 per day.
• Annual pass for locals (within Buller, Grey and Westland districts) of $10 per year, which allows for unlimited access for two vehicles during the year.
• Annual pass for other regular visitors for $60 per year, which equates to $1.15 per week.
• Commercial tourism operators who hold a valid concession will be granted a parking fee exemption for the duration of the pilot. 

Final pricing decision for Aoraki Mt Cook

• Free parking period for 10 minutes to allow for drop-offs/pick-ups or staying a short time.
• Hourly rate of $5 per hour.
• Daily rate of $25 per day.
• Annual pass for locals (within MacKenzie District boundaries) of $10 per year, which allows for unlimited access during the year.
• Annual pass for other regular visitors for $60 per year, which equates to $1.15 per week.
• Commercial tourism operators who hold a valid concession will be granted a parking fee exemption for the duration of the pilot. 

We also explored longer-term car park options for White Horse Hill to manage peak demand and reduce congestion. These include existing car park improvements, park-and-ride and other travel demand management options.

Expansion of paid parking

Following the successful results of the pilot, the decision was made to continue paid parking at these three sites and investigate the introduction of paid parking services at other popular DOC sites. Announcement of these sites is expected in mid-November 2026.

Contact

If you have any queries, contact us at info@doc.govt.nz or call 0800 275 362.