Govt invests $2.5m to help displaced West Coast tourism workers

21st July 2020 By Staff Reporter | news@tourismticker.com | @tourismticker

Franz Josef. Image: Greg O’Beirne

Displaced workers from the West Coast’s hard-hit tourism sector will be redeployed into nature-based jobs thanks to $2.5m of new funding.

The cash from the Government’s $1.3bn Jobs for Nature package would enable South Westland operators to retain about 50 staff until their businesses were able to start up again.

Conservation minister Eugenie Sage announced the funding on Monday morning and said it would help an alliance of businesses and government agencies provide the jobs.

“It’s pleasing to see an alliance formed of South Westland businesses working with Ngāi Tahu, the West Coast Regional Council and central government agencies, including the Department of Conservation, to keep skilled staff in the region working,” Sage said.

“This initiative will refocus tourism jobs to roles that help protect and restore natural areas and maintain and upgrade recreation assets in one of New Zealand’s most scenic and ecologically diverse places.”

The work included maintaining and improving existing tracks and other recreation assets in Glacier Country, such as the Copland Track and Cattle Track.

Other projects included removing lead from 15 backcountry huts to protect kea, who get poisoned from eating lead-head nails.

Sage added that staff who once hosted adventure and experience-based tourism activities could work on conservation advocacy programmes to educate visitors about the area’s biodiversity.

“South Westland has spectacular landscapes where natural forces dominate and distinctive indigenous plants and wildlife,” she said.

“These jobs enable people to give nature a helping hand through pest and weed control, monitoring threatened species such as bats and bittern, and growing eco-sourced native plants for restoration projects.”

West Coast-Tasman MP Damien O’Connor said the West Coast was hurting from the Covid-19 downturn.

“South Westland, especially Fox Glacier and Franz Josef, have been particularly hard hit,” O’Connor said.

“In Franz Josef alone, 90% of the 510 residents work in tourism-related jobs. This initiative will give the communities of Glacier Country more chance of surviving over the next few years while the international visitor market rebuilds.”

Tourism spending on the West Coast Tourism fell by 19% to $422m in the year to April 2020. International visitors contributed about 54% of visitor spend.

Tourism also provided 3657 jobs across the region.