Engagement

Phil Tisch

The next two months are going to be busy for the team and crunch time for engagement with our June project deadline firmly in sight.

In March and April we will be undertaking targeted engagement with subject matter experts (tourism industry, conservation bodies, recreational interests, local communities and businesses). Our first two engagement topics will be managed access and how to collect and administer the levy.

We’re intending to share what we have learned and check our thinking through a range of workshops, webinars and one on ones with subject matter experts.  This will ensure that a fully informed business case containing a range of robust options is ready to submit to Cabinet by the end of June. 

Remember, you can drop in to our Te Anau Project Hub (26 Town Centre) for an update. March 2024 opening hours are:

Monday to Friday – 10am to 3pm
Thursday – 3pm to 7pm

Or you are welcome to share your thoughts with us at any time:

Thanks to all those who have supported this work so far

Since the last newsletter, our engagement programme has focussed in on two areas: 

gaining feedback from experts on key aspects of our feasibility work, and
touching base with stakeholders who haven’t heard from us in a while.

A good example of this is the great work groups such as Fish & Game, Federated Mountain Clubs and various park users have done to provide comment on the proposed cycle way. Groups and individuals have offered up some really useful insights and this information will be used to help refine proposals to be included in the final options report to Ministers.

In other engagements, a number of tour operators have mentioned that while visitor numbers are slightly down on pre-covid levels, visitors are returning to Piopiotahi in large numbers and this is helping businesses recover following the tough times of the COVID lock-downs.  In some cases, record visitor numbers are being experienced but the picture is mixed.  Feedback from aviators suggests that many visitors are choosing to fly, despite adverse weather resulting in fewer flyable days.

Discussions are continuing with representatives of cruise, Federated Mountain Clubs, Fiordland Marine Guardians, the Conservation Authority and Conservation Board, small, medium and large tourism businesses, and local and central government agencies including Tourism New Zealand.

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