There are a number of tracks in New Zealand that are approved and available for guided walking if certain conditions are met. These are called 'conforming tracks' - see our guided walking (conforming) page for more information.

This application is for land-based activity on tracks that have not been approved as conforming tracks, or, conforming tracks for a term longer than five years

Find out what concession you will need and how to apply for one below if your activity does not involve a conforming track

Pre-application meeting

Applying for a concession for the first time can be a little tricky. To ensure your application goes smoothly we advise you to contact us to have a pre-application meeting. We’ll help you to:

• Understand the concession you will need to apply for.
• Navigate our statutory planning documents, so you can consider whether the activity you wish to undertake is consistent with them.
• Understand DOC’s responsibility to give effect to the principles of the Treaty of Waitangi, which requires consultation with Treaty Partners on most applications. If you wish, DOC can help you contact the local iwi, hapū, and whānau to assess whether your proposed activity will have any cultural effects. Often this consultation can enhance the activity you are considering.

Type of concession

Depending on what you want to do and when and how you want to do it, you will either need a one-off concession or a longer-term concession.

One-off concession – for land-based guiding activities held for a period of no longer than three months.

As well as complying with all relevant legislation and conservation plans or strategies your planned activity must:

• have only minor environmental effects that can easily be managed
• have clearly defined limits (ie number of trips)
• not involve permanent structures
• not take place in the same location more than once in any three year period.

Longer term concession  – for land-based guiding activities held over a period of longer than three months.

Apply for your concession

Follow the relevant process below for your land-based guided activity. There are additional applications you will need to make if your activity involves anything outside of land-based guiding, such as water or air transport.

One-off activity

• Fill in the applicant information form 1b – one off process (PDF, 189K) or (Word, 354K).
• Fill in the land-based guided activities form (PDF, 451K) or (Word, 123K).
• Email the forms along with the relevant documents requested to permissions@doc.govt.nz.

Identify the name and status of the public conservation land you wish to use by checking DOC maps.

If your application is approved we will send you a contract which you must sign and return before proceeding with your activity.

Longer term activity

• Fill in the Land-based guided activities for (PDF, 451K) or (Word, 123K).
• Email the form along with any relevant documents to permissions@doc.govt.nz.

Identify the name and status of the public conservation land you wish to use by checking DOC maps.

If your application is approved we will send you a contract which you must sign and return before proceeding with your activity.

Find out more

Find out more about the process and how to prepare your application.

Permissions application process

Preparing a permission application

Timeframe

One-off applications are generally processed in shorter timeframes, dependent on whether iwi consultation is required.

Complex applications could take a number of months to be processed.

How long it takes to process an application

Fees

One-off concession

We will invoice you once we have processed your application. Your fee is likely to be $130 plus GST ($146.50 including GST). 

Longer-term concession

We will invoice you once we have processed your application. The processing fee for a standard application for guiding activities is $2565 excluding GST ($2949.75 including GST). If your application is assessed as complex, covers multiple regions, or includes more than 20 individual locations, this fee is likely to be higher. We will send you an estimate of costs once we have received your application.

If your proposed activity has to be notified to the public because there are likely to be significant environmental effects over the duration of your activity your fee will include the cost of public notification and hearings. We will provide an estimate of the likely application processing time and cost when your application is received.

You will also be required to pay ongoing concession fees and guiding activity fees for your land-based guiding activity. Note there are different fees which apply to popular cycle tracks.

Safety plan

As part of your application you will need an independently audited safety plan.

Additional applications

If your activity involves more than land-based guiding you will need to complete an application form for the relevant additional activity. 

• Water transport (such as kayaking or boat transfers) – concession application form 4b (watercraft activities) (PDF, 70K) or (Word, 343K).
• Air transport – aircraft activities form (PDF, 813K) or (Word, 105K)
• Building, extending or adding to any permanent and temporary structures (eg bulk fuel storage) or facilities on public conservation land – concession application form 3b (private/commercial facility/structures) (PDF, 69K) or (Word, 341K).
• Tenancy of any DOC managed buildings (other than overnight usage of huts) – concession application form 3a (tenanting or using existing DOC structure / facility) (PDF, 56K) or (Word, 326K).

Contact us

For more information or assistance with your land-based guided activity concession contact the nearest of these DOC offices.