Natural Assets Toolbox

Last updated: September 2008

Introduction and Scope

Many visitors are attracted to New Zealand by its clean green image and unspoilt natural environment. This trend is likely to continue. International and domestic visitor demand is increasingly focused on specific natural sites. Local authorities are responsible for managing many of these.

This Toolbox will help you to:

Identify local natural assets;
Appreciate the significance of natural assets which may be used for tourism in your region;
Plan for the sustainable management of these assets in a tourism context.

A structured approach by local authorities to managing the impact of tourism on natural assets is essential to ensure sustainability and the continued enjoyment of those assets for both tourism and recreation.

Why use this Toolbox?

To minimise the impacts of tourism on natural assets, local (and central) authorities need useful information on which to base decisions. Yet despite their importance, many of New Zealand’s natural assets do not have specific management guidelines for minimising visitor impacts.

For local governments there are a number of benefits to managing natural assets sustainably, not all of which relate solely to tourism:

Lead by example in working with the tourism sector;
Sharpen a council’s focus in managing tourism and recreational activities in its region;
Assist in meeting quadruple-bottom-line reporting objectives;
Assist in meeting sustainable development requirements of the Local Government Act (2002);
Reduce the likelihood of litigation and mediation, which tie up council resources.

Sustainable management of natural assets has many broader advantages: helping New Zealand maintain its competitive clean, green image, fulfilling national strategies , and helping the tourism industry remain profitable and effective.

The following checklist will help you identify options of managing tourism impacts on different natural assets in you region.