Outdoors Party Tourist Conservation levy Policy Lifted by The Greens!

"The New Zealand Outdoors Party are flattered that the Greens have seen fit to adopt the Outdoors Party policy of a tourist tax" says Alan Simmons, co leader.

"Our policy which we have been pushing for sometime now has largely been ignored by the mainstream parties and media until now and we are very pleased a party such as the Greens will adopt it.

We are however disappointed in the Greens suggestion to distribute of the money raised into pest control. The aim of the policy is to fund the Department of Conservation and councils to help provide better and more infrastructure to handle the huge number of tourists who are putting immense pressure on our outdoor environment. These costs are currently borne by new Zealanders through rates and taxes all the while our beautiful places are being consumed by tourists. Often the only people who pay at Department of Conservation camping sites are New Zealanders with many Freedom campers in cars, cheap 2 man tents or sub standard vans moving on without paying unless challenged by a Doc Officer.

The New Zealand wilderness is groaning under a sea of rubbish over banks from these freedom campers and every roadside piece of bush, camping ground and walking track is littered with toilet paper and excrement . Doc needs more funding to improve and build more toilets which in some areas are absolutely disgusting causing people to go behind the nearest bush.

Nowhere are there rubbish facilities and tourist just do not know where local collection points are let alone find them open as they pass through a town.
The NZ Outdoors Party would make this "Tourist Conservation fund" available to Department of Conservation and local/regional Councils.

"We also need to seriously look at how many tourist are enough and the Outdoors Party hope some of the major political parties may also pick up their policy of this also which is on our website. While we will be standing candidates in the next election we are also wanting to see good outcomes for the outdoors no matter who brings them in." said Alan Simmons.

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