A paywave donations trial by the Department of Conservation in Punakaiki has harvested $22,000 in five months.
By Vihan Dalal for Local Democracy Reporting
At a West Coast Tai Poutini Conservation Board meeting in Okarito last Thursday, DOC South Westland operations manager Wayne Costello said the donation trial began on October 20.
Board member Ashley Cassin asked whether DOC was looking to begin trialling paywave donations at other locations too, but Costello did not specify the locations at the meeting, saying they had been asked the same question.
He noted there had been issues with donation boxes in the past, including vandalism.
"There has always been an issue ... people attach chains around things in cars and vehicles and tow them out.
"There have always been challenges with either donations or 'iron rangers' (metal pipes used for payments) for campsites," Costello said.
Conservation board chairman Mike Legge told LDR one of the reasons for the Punakaiki trial was that people were "used to paywave".
The donation facility was in addition to a paid parking trial under way at Punakaiki, the Franz Josef Glacier valley, and Mount Cook.
DOC has said that trial has brought in $1 million in parking fees since it was introduced just before Christmas.
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