Concessions and permits

Greater Wellington Regional Council’s parks and forests provide numerous opportunities for recreation, tourism and filming.

To manage these activities and their effects, Greater Wellington operates a concessions and permits system for Allowed and Managed activities in parks. A separate process applies for activities identified as ‘Resticted’ in the Toitu Te Whenua Parks Management Plan for the eight regional parks.

Check section eight of Toitu Te Whenua Parks Network Plan for activities allowed in parks and permission requirements.

Concessions for Allowed and Managed activities

A concession is an official authorisation for individuals or groups to carry out an activity or event within the Regional Council's parks and forests that is over and above casual use, and which may have some impacts on the park or other users. 

Fees are payable for some activities eg camping. To find out if your activity has an associated fee, see the fee schedule.

You will need a concession if your event or activity involves filming, is commercial in nature or if it involves more than 30 participants.

Applications for concessions are evaluated on a case-by-case basis.  Should a concession be granted, it provides a:

• Legal right to carry out an activity or event on lands owned and/or managed by Greater Wellington Regional Council

• Formal relationship between the concession holder and Greater Wellington Regional Council, ensuring that both parties are aware of their obligations

Event organizers will need to apply for either a streamlined concession or a full concession based on the size and type of event. Visit the concessions page for more about host obligations and how to apply for an authorisation. Fees may be payable for commercial and non-commercial activities or events requiring a concession. See the commercial, non-commercial, and filming fee schedule pages.

Submit a concession application online here

Permits

Certain activities in the parks and forests require written permission. If activities were not managed, these actions could adversely affect natural or cultural resources, or they could lead to conflicts between park users. Operating a system of permits is an effective method of managing resources and minimizing potential conflicts.

Activities that require a permit vary from park to park and can include:

• Camping
• Hunting of introduced animals
• Trail biking 
• Research, including collecting material

Permits are usually issued unless the area or resource is already fully booked or allocated. Visit our permits page to learn what permits each park requires, potential restrictions, and how to apply.

Find out more

If you did not find what you were searching for on the concessions and permits main-page and sub-pages and would like to ask any further questions please contact the Concessions Administrator at Concessions@gw.govt.nz.

For information about Restricted activities in parks check Toitu Te Whenua Parks Network Plan and contact parksplanning@gw.govt.nz.