New Abel Tasman National Park Management Plan
Date: 10 December 2008
A new management plan for the Abel Tasman National Park is now in place setting out how it will be managed over the next 10 years. The Abel Tasman National Park Management Plan has come into effect following its approval by the New Zealand Conservation Authority.
Nelson/Marlborough Conservation Board chairperson Judy Hellstrom said the new plan contained provisions to deal with a range of matters including managing visitor and commercial activities, pest control, island restoration programmes, and historical heritage protection.
“This new management plan for Abel Tasman National Park gives guidance and direction to the Department of Conservation on how the park is to be managed. The plan was developed following extensive consultation with the public that included 277 public submissions on proposals contained in the draft management plan.
“The draft plan was revised in light of the public submissions and then considered by the Nelson/Marlborough Conservation Board. The board forwarded the plan to the New Zealand Conservation Authority for its consideration and approval, taking into account comments on the plan from the Minister of Conservation.
“Abel Tasman National Park is New Zealand’s smallest national park but it has high visitation that requires careful management in order to protect the natural characteristics for which the park is so highly valued.
“The plan contains provisions to concentrate certain commercial activities at Anchorage, Bark Bay, Onetahuti and Totaranui which have the facilities to cope with higher numbers of visitors. There will be less or no commercial activity in other bays and areas of the park enabling these to provide a quieter natural setting for visitors.
“The plan includes limits on the total amount of commercial (concession) activity that can take place in the park. It allows for a maximum total of 66 commercial trips per day by kayak or other self-propelled vessel. The total maximum number of guided walking trips per day is set at 50."
"The plan allows for some mountain biking in the park. Mountain biking is to be allowed on Gibbs Hill Track in the winter visitor season, 1 May to 1 October, over two seasons as a trial. Mountain biking is also to be allowed year-round on part of the Moa Park Track, between the turnoff on the Rameka Track – which is legal road and currently used for mountain biking – and the Wainui Track turnoff. This will provide additional mountain bike access to Canaan Downs Scenic Reserve where mountain bike tracks are being developed.”
The plan also identifies priorities for pest control, native species protection and historical heritage preservation.
Ecological restoration of Adele (Motuarero-nui), Tonga and Fisherman (Motuarero-iti) islands is provided for in the plan. The department carried out a mice eradication operation on the islands last year to clear them of mammalian pests, enabling the islands to be used as sanctuaries for native species. It is planned to reintroduce more native species to the islands.
Tonga and Pinnacle islands are to be created Specially Protected Areas with no public access to protect the islands’ seal breeding colonies.
DOC Nelson/Marlborough Conservator Neil Clifton welcomed the new management plan for Abel Tasman National Park.
“The Department of Conservation administers Abel Tasman National Park on behalf of New Zealanders and management plans importantly provide for public input into how national parks are managed.
“The management plan guides management of the national park only and does not cover activities on the foreshore. A draft management plan is currently being developed for the Abel Tasman Foreshore Scenic Reserve, which is managed jointly by the department and the Tasman District Council. The draft foreshore reserve management plan is expected to be released for public submissions in 2009.”
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