8. Activities requiring specific authorisation
8.2 Recreation concessions
8.2.1 Recreation concession management
Recreation concessionaires have an important role in contributing to the regional economy and providing visitors with transport options to the reserve and the national park, as well as for residents of, or visitors to, the privately-owned lands along the Abel Tasman coast. The concessionaires also offer visitors an enhanced recreational and/or educational experience of the reserve, through quality interpretation, and implementing responsible group conduct and safe practices.
There is a high level of commercial use of the coast and foreshore, dominated by water taxis, water-based commercially guided activity, charter boats and freedom kayak rentals, as well as the occasional cruise ship. These concession activities on the reserve should be managed in a way that is consistent with the characteristics for each of the Recreational Zones (see section 6.1.3 ‘Recreational Zones’) and the outcomes for the two places. Other commercial activities, such as floating hotels and shops, have been
proposed in the past for the adjacent marine area (see section 9.1.9 ‘Water and land- based commercial activity’).
Maximum levels of recreation concession activity
To ensure all visitors have a quality, safe, scenic reserve experience, maximum levels of recreation concession activity (with conditions) in the reserve have been established.
These maximum levels mainly apply to the peak six month period of 1 November to 30 April. They were established following consultation with the concessionaires who were operating along the Abel Tasman coastline prior to the foreshore becoming a reserve. They are based on the levels of activity undertaken during the 2007/08 and 2008/09 seasons. The effects of these levels of activity need to be monitored to ensure they are appropriate and effective in achieving the characteristics for the Recreational Zones (see section 8.2.18 ‘Monitoring’).
All recreation concession activities (various water-based and/or guided activities) have been divided into units that identify the characteristics of that activity and establish maximum numbers for trips, passengers/clients/guests, guides, and/or vessels (such as kayaks). Once the units have been identified then it is possible to set limits for activities in each Recreational Zone, including site specific limits for some activities. The setting of limits for each activity has been developed as a tool to manage the maximum level of
concession activity on the reserve and the maximum number of people undertaking recreation concession activities in the reserve. The units and limits are set out in the sections below.
Where the maximum levels for the activities identified in this plan have been
allocated, any new concession applications for these activities should be declined and applicants advised to use existing concessionaires to undertake the activity on their behalf. It should be noted that some or all of the levels of activities may already be allocated to existing concessionaires.
Recreation concession activity types
A distinction has been made between water taxis, charter boats and other commercial activities based on the nature and effects of their operation within and adjacent to the reserve. In general, water taxis tend to transport passengers into or out of the reserve, as quickly as possible, according to a scheduled timetable; whereas charter boats tend to focus more on the journey itself, as well as the destination, and are not so intent on meeting a scheduled timetable.
The activity types (such as water taxi and charter boat) are clearly described and defined in the following sections. All activity types require specific authorisation by way of a concession. This means, for example, that a concession may allow water taxi activity (the drop off/pick up of water taxi passengers and/or kayaks on the reserve using a water taxi) in accordance with conditions relating to that activity. The same concession may also allow charter boat activity (the drop off/pick up of charter clients on the reserve using a charter boat) subject to conditions specific to that activity.
In carrying out an assessment of effects of a recreation concession activity within the reserve, the adverse effects of that activity on the reserve and the adjoining national park can be taken into account when making a decision as to conditions and limits. This provides for integrated management of activities across the two areas of land and ensures that the values of the reserve and national park are protected, in accordance with Conservation General Policy 13(c) (see Appendix 9). The Administration Committee may also be mindful of the effects of a recreation concession activity on adjacent privately owned land.
In addition, any commercial recreation activity carried out in the adjacent national park requires a separate concession to any that may be granted for activities on the reserve.
The specific activities that have been identified in this plan are not exhaustive and applications for other activities should be:
(a) Assessed in accordance with the criteria outlined in sections 8.1 ‘Concessions – general’ and 8.2 ‘Recreation concessions’; and
(b) Considered on their merits, on a case-by-case basis, with reference to the effects of the activity on the values of the reserve and the relevant Recreational Zone characteristics and visitor experiences.
Appropriate maximum levels for new activities may also be applied. As a guide, the following activities are considered inappropriate and any applications should be
declined: guided groups of clients on powered personal watercraft, except at the Coastal Access Points where motorised commercial vessels already regularly operate;
hovercraft or other unconventional motorised vessels that exceed the noise levels emitted by commercial vessels currently entering the reserve (see section 8.2.15 ‘Noise’);
and the hiring of equipment from the reserve.
8. Activities requiring specific authorisation 75 Term and allocation of recreation concessions
All recreation concessions for the reserve should be managed in a way that is consistent with the recreation concessions for the adjacent national park. This means that all recreation concessions for the Abel Tasman coast (park and reserve) should:
(i) Have a common expiry date; and
(ii) Be allocated using an allocation mechanism that is complementary to any allocation systems used for recreation concessions within the national park.
Individual concession applications should not be considered outside this process. All the recreation concession activities for the Abel Tasman can then be managed in an integrated way.
Liaison group
The Administration Committee intends to form a liaison group with recreation concession holders so that information regarding the use and management of the reserve (and the adjacent national park) can be regularly discussed. It is envisaged that this would include:
(a) The development of operational protocols, which would identify key operational opportunities or issues, and mechanisms to address the issues, prior to each season
(b) Advising of ‘early warning signs’, which would identify operational
opportunities or issues that may arise during a season and the response required from the concessionaires
(c) Strategic matters relating to the implementation and monitoring of the provisions of this management plan.
Examples of the types of operational issues that this may cover include:
(i) A particular toilet facility within the adjacent national park is becoming overloaded and concessionaires need to avoid landing on the adjoining beach until the problem has been rectified
(ii) A beach may have been subject to erosion and there is no room to land vessels at high tide, so commercial vessels need to avoid landing around this time
(iii) A Coastal Access Point needs to be temporarily shifted along a beach due to natural sand movement.
Feedback from the Administration Committee on the results of visitor monitoring and whether there are any concerning trends, are strategic matters that may be referred to the liaison group for consideration.
If necessary, the Administration Committee can implement sections 19(2)(b) and 55(1)(b) and (f) of the Reserves Act 1977 to officially close parts of the reserve until circumstances improve. In addition, the levels and/or conditions of concessionaire activity may be amended through a review of this management plan if a significant change occurs. These actions will protect reserve values and visitor experiences, while providing for sustainable recreational concessionaire activities over the long-term.
Tasman District Council Navigation Safety Bylaw
In addition, Tasman District Council licenses commercial vessels in accordance with its Navigation Safety Bylaw. This bylaw defines a commercial vessel as a vessel that is not:
a pleasure craft11; or solely powered manually; or solely powered by sail. Tasman District Council may impose various terms and conditions on any licence, including:
(i) Defining the points of embarkation/disembarkation (ii) Defining the area or route of operations
(iii) Limiting the number of passengers or quantity of freight
(iv) Whether the operation is limited to daylight hours, or by weather conditions (v) In the case of rental vessels, whether a rescue craft must be in attendance or not (vi) Specifying safety equipment
(vii) In the case of rental vessels, specifying what level of instruction must be given to hirers (viii) Requiring a number or name or other distinctive marking to be displayed on the vessel (ix) In the case of small paddle-powered vessels such as kayaks or waka, requiring the vessel to
show a brightly coloured flag or paddle blades to enhance visibility when underway (x) In the case of small paddle-powered vessels such as kayaks or waka, requiring the hull of
the vessel to be of a colour that contrasts with the marine environment to enhance visibility when underway.
The licence and concession conditions should be consistent.
Operational tracking devices
The Administration Committee may require that some or all of the commercial vessels that enter the reserve are equipped with an operational tracking device. This tracking device will be linked to a centrally managed database, under the control of the Administration Committee. The information provided by this system will be used to:
(a) Ensure compliance with concession conditions; and
(b) Help inform the Administration Committee as to whether or not the provisions set out in this section of the plan are contributing to the Vision for the reserve as a whole and the Outcomes for the places.