Kiwis in Australia get Medicare, welfare payments, but Aussies to face new entry fees to visit New Zealand’s top attractions; here’s why

Australian tourists will soon have to pay between $18 and $36 to visit some of New Zealand’s most famous natural sites, under a new conservation scheme announced by the NZ government. The plan, which exempts locals but applies to all overseas visitors, aims to raise tens of millions of dollars for environmental protection and job creation.

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Conservation Minister Tama Potaka revealed the changes at the National Party annual conference in Christchurch, reported by the Daily Telegraph.

It was also just days before Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese was due to visit Queenstown for bilateral talks.


Currently, the Aussie PM is visiting New Zealand for bilateral talks.

What is this new fee?

The visitor levy will be charged to all international tourists (including Australians) visiting four key attractions:

• Cathedral Cove
  
  
• Tongariro Crossing
  
  
• Milford Sound
  
  
• Aoraki/Mount Cook
  

Entry will remain free for New Zealand citizens, and Luxon says these sites are part of the locals' “collective inheritance.”

Why was it introduced?

The NZ government says international visitors make up 80 per cent of traffic to these locations, creating pressure on infrastructure and the environment.

The scheme, worth NZ$62 million, will:

• Fund conservation work
  
  
• Upgrade facilities
  
  
• Support local jobs and wages
  

Mr Potaka compared the move to entry fees at national parks in Australia, the US, and Canada, though locals pay the same fees as tourists in those countries.

How much will it cost?

Charges will range between:

• NZ$20 (AU$18) and NZ$40 (AU$36) per person

Exact prices will depend on the site visited. The money will be reinvested directly into the conservation of these attractions.

When will it start?

The fee system is set to begin in 2027. Australians will not be exempt despite the trans-Tasman Travel Arrangement, which allows citizens to live and work in each other’s countries without visas.

According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, around 2.27 per cent or about 618,000 New Zealand-born people lived in Australia, making them the fourth largest overseas-born population in Australia.

This group includes those living for various reasons, such as business, permanent residence, and study. The number gradually increased from around 598,000 in 2023 to about 583,000 in 2014.

In 2024, New Zealand citizens, those traveling on New Zealand passports, accounted for 85 per cent of the 47,300 migrant departures to Australia and 67 per cent of the 17,300 migrant arrivals from Australia. In comparison, in 2023, these figures were 84 per cent for departures and 61 per cent for arrivals.

Kiwis residing in Australia can access Medicare, domestic university fees, and welfare payments, including pensions, rent assistance, and disability support services.