Hawaiian airport protest to stop influx of coronavirus tourists→

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Hawaiian airport protest to stop influx of coronavirus tourists

HONOLULU, Hawaii (HawaiiNewsNow) - About 60 Molokai residents staged a protest at the island’s airport on Wednesday morning.

They’re saying they don’t want any more visitors coming to the island as a precaution against coronavirus.

“We are here today to exercise our rights and our voices to ask tourists and people who are not from here to please stay home,” said resident Zhantell Lindo.

“We want to protect our people and we want to support the governor in asking visitors to please stay home at this time. We want to keep Molokai Molokai and we appreciate and mahalo all your support.”

The protest comes after the governor on Tuesday urged visitors to stay away from the islands for at least 30 days.

It doesn’t appear that’s happening yet, however.

At the Molokai protest, attendees were reminded not to hug or shake hands and they stayed 6 feet away from each other during the protest.

Copyright 2020 Hawaii News Now. All rights reserved.

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PFW Autumn News Roundup

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While this summer of golden weather brought the usual influx of tourists and visitors, it has all come to an abrupt end with the arrival of the coronavirus that is ravaging the world. As I write, the island under lockdown is as peaceful and serene as it was when I first came to Waiheke in 1973; the only sound I can hear is birdsong. And although the cause is deeply unsettling, I know some of us are relishing the resulting peace and quiet. It is great to walk around our neighbourhoods without fear of speeding traffic, and experience the kind of community friendliness and neighbourliness that were the hallmarks of the Waiheke community in previous decades.

This may be a good time to reflect on our value, and values, as a cohesive and supportive community, and ask ourselves how we can rethink our economic value as a tourist destination without incurring the negative impacts of overtourism.

The Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment (PCE) Simon Upton has warned in a recent report that increasing numbers of tourists are eroding the very attributes that make New Zealand such an attractive country to visit.

“To date New Zealand has been relatively immune to the strident protests about ‘overtourism’ that have hit major European cities like Barcelona and Venice in recent years.” But we mustn’t be complacent, he says.

“A business-as-usual approach to growing our tourism sector will have devastating consequences for the natural environment which is the major drawcard for our tourists…We need to consider how tourism can protect the environment while enhancing the wellbeing of New Zealanders, both those working in the industry and those living in the places that tourists like to visit.”

Read the full story.

Of course we can’t underestimate the devastating effect of Covid 19 on New Zealand’s largest export earner, which contributed $14.5 billion (20.7%) to total exports for the year ending March 2017. (1)

But international tourism also costs the government a big chunk of money.

Deloitte Access Economics (2) estimates that central government agencies incurred $638 million in tourism-related expenditure in 2017, spent on infrastructure, land transport, DoC services etc.

Domestic tourists have a big impact too, the PCE report notes, but our carbon footprint is typically far smaller because we are not taking long-haul flights. We also tend to travel to more places that are off the beaten track, and support locally-owned businesses. So perhaps, when the coronavirus is under control, we can start to restore our economy by encouraging more New Zealanders to come to Waiheke. (‘Don’t leave town til you’ve seen the country’.)

This focus on domestic tourism is a key aspect of ATEED’s Strategy , with its strong focus on sustainability. Our Local Board is also considering the adoption of core aspects of the Waiheke Sustainable Community and Tourism Strategy.

Tourism operators on Waiheke also commented in Project Forever Waiheke’s 2018 community consultation that they wanted to attract more people who will stay for a number of nights in preference to day-trippers, who commonly contribute relatively little to the Waiheke economy.

While we have this current opportunity to stand back and re-think local values, we could think about what sustainable and responsible tourism actually looks like. We could look to the example of Magnetic Island, which is roughly as far from Townsville, Australia, as Waiheke is from Auckland. There, the resident population has battled with tourist-focused developers for more than 20 years, and many residents continue to be opposed to any form of tourism.

However, locals are now working with the tourist businesses on a range of sustainability initiatives: solar power across the island, working towards carbon neutrality, supporting better management of the island’s national park, moving to electric powered public transport, encouraging more tourism businesses to adopt specific sustainability initiatives, and developing an interest in education for visitors about both the natural environment and sustainable lifestyles. Other initiatives include eliminating plastic packaging and water conservation.

Our hardworking Local Board, as well as dozens of volunteer-based organisations and initiatives on the island, are already doing many of these things, albeit in a somewhat ad hoc fashion: See PFW’s MAD webpage.

The way we have responded to the coronavirus crisis is testament to our love of this beautiful island and its unique community. By supporting our friends and neighbours and wherever possible our local businesses, we can keep it safe until such time as we can welcome visitors again.

Keep your distance, but stay connected. We’re in this together.

Kia kaha, Waiheke!

1. Statistics New Zealand (International Visitor Survey), Tourism Satellite Accounts, December 2017.

2. Financial Costs and Benefits of International Tourism: Ministry of Business, Innovation & Employment, 13 April 2018

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Have visitors finally overstayed their welcome in Hawaii?→

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Have visitors finally overstayed their welcome in Hawaii?

(CNN) — The world-famous Ha'ikū Stairs along Oahu's Ko'olau mountain range, known as the "Stairway to Heaven," has been closed to the public since 1991, but you wouldn't know that from Instagram.

And despite the $250,000 a year the Honolulu Board of Water Supply spends to keep people out of the area, roughly 4,000 hikers still access the stairs annually, to the detriment of the local residents, whose properties are trespassed, and to the board's customers, who are footing the bill.

It's one of many examples of how tourism promotion, which has historically marketed Hawaii as a playground full of escapist pleasures, has backfired. Now, Hawaii must course correct. Seeking more responsible guests, the industry is looking for a bit of restraint -- and deference.

Read the full article from CNN.

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PFW summer news roundup

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Summer got off to a promising start, although late December and early January brought some cool, windy weather. That did not deter the usual crowds who came to the island for their holidays or to enjoy the island’s festivities, nor the corporate party-goers and overseas tourists who have been keeping local tour companies busy and happy.

The high numbers at Matiatia and the Downtown Ferry Terminal may have ruffled some feathers, but on the positive side, the renamed ‘Residents Lane’, only accessible to those carrying a monthly pass, 40-trip ticket or a resident’s ID card, has been working better for locals than it did last year. Thanks to Fullers for actively monitoring use of that lane and giving residents actual priority boarding where possible, and for the fantastic help that ferry staff have been giving to passengers getting their luggage on and off the boats – it’s been noticed and appreciated. However, commuters and residents travelling to Auckland are frustrated and upset about ferry delays or cancellations apparently caused by an increasing number of visiting cruise ships.

On the island, locals’ concerns about the new bus network continued into the New Year, as did the dispute about the new location of the taxi stand at Matiatia. The new arrangements are of course a trial and locals will have their opportunity to give feedback when the trial is completed in April this year. Meanwhile Save Kennedy Point (SKP) group members, already disappointed at losing their appeal for a rehearing in the Environment Court, are dismayed at the prospect of having to pay costs of more than $24K to Auckland Council.

Islanders and weekenders continue to fight the good fight for our environment and community. The best news this year so far is that local organisations Island Waste Collective and Clean Island have won the highly contested tender for Waiheke’s new $26 million waste contract, at last returning waste management on Waiheke to Waihekeans – congratulations and thanks to John Stansfield and his team for this major effort. They aim to increase waste diversion from landfill by at least 50% with a new approach to ‘resource recovery’. New Hope opportunity shop has also received funding to help them sell recovered resources back into the community .

A collaboration between island conservation groups and volunteers is aiming to eradicate stoats from the island. Native Bird Rescue has put out a call to help save our dwindling population of korora, and to help all our birdlife survive the  drought conditions of the past few weeks. And a new advocacy group, Protect our Gulf, is looking to submit to relevant authorities on environmentally hazardous projects.

The Beach Ambassadors project has been boosted this year with  Council funding, and an eco-conscious enterprise from the mainland, The Compost Co, is helping Waiheke’s restaurants to turn food waste into a valuable resource.

Council has also been working hard to minimise the impacts of tourism on our marine and Gulf environments, with regular bulletins to boaties and holiday-makers on being mindful of the waste loads that holidays add to the holiday destinations.

For our part, Project Forever Waiheke has been focussed on the MAD about Waiheke campaign, which has so far gathered together around 27 local environmental and community service group listings and, judging by the website statistics, gained a lot of interest from potential community helpers. With the addition of information on micro-volunteering for people with limited time, we can truly say there’s something everyone can do to make a difference to the island, its wildlife and people.

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Auckland Council’s summer waste barge service returns to Waiheke→

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Auckland Council’s summer waste barge service returns to Waiheke

Auckland Council’s summer waste barge service is returning to Waiheke Island to help boaties dispose of their waste and keep Auckland's Waitematā Harbour beautiful.

With the influx of people to the Hauraki Gulf islands over summer, the council encourages day visitors coming by boat or ferry to ‘pack in and pack out’ and take their waste with them when they go.

“If people are visiting one of the islands for a day, we’re asking people to take their waste home with them and dispose of it responsibly, in their rubbish or recycling bins,” says Parul Sood, General Manager Waste Solutions.

“For those away for longer periods, the Waiheke Island summer waste barge service is there to support leisure boat users to effectively manage their waste while out on the water.”

The barge will be moored at Man O’ War Bay, Waiheke Island, from Friday, 20 December 2019 to Friday, 7 February 2020, and will be open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, including public holidays.  

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Waste-wise tips for boaties this summer→

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Waste-wise tips for boaties this summer

Auckland Council is appealing to boaties and leisure craft users to be waste-wise on the water over the holiday season to conserve our oceans and coastlines.

“By planning ahead, boaties can minimise waste before heading out on to the water.”

Visit Auckland Council’s website for their top tips for being waste-wise in the Gulf this summer:

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PFW Spring news roundup

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Spring has sprung, and already the island is getting busy, with noticeably heavier traffic on the roads and already large numbers of visitors on the ferries. Fullers has continued to “navigate choppy waters” with delays in the rollout of their two new vessels, while Chris Darby’s petition to bring their ferry services back under the Public Transport Operating Model (PTOM) gathered nearly 6000 signatures.

 Fullers introduced their summer timetable on 14 October, at the same time renaming the locals’ lane a ‘residents’ lane’, which they say will be policed more stringently this summer. A week later they announced a hike in ferry prices of two percent for commuters and five percent for visitors, resulting in a storm of protest from users and local politicians.

Meanwhile, island residents, weekenders and volunteers continue their great work in conservation, environmental awareness and community engagement. At the end of August the island welcomed Natasha Beletzky to the role of  park ranger at Whakanewha, and the Volunteer Fire Brigade celebrated their refurbished fire station . Vector announced the installation of 80 EV smart chargers  in homes across the island, furthering Waiheke’s goal of becoming the world’s first fully electric island. To that end, Electric Island Waiheke is running EV trials with Waiheke families, businesses and individuals throughout November.

Te Korowai o Waiheke continues its battle  against pests and predators that threaten native flora and fauna. Members of Extinction Rebellion Waiheke planted 21 pohutukawa at Owhanake and on Tui Road . A team of Waiheke High students formed a wildlife protection programme (‘Join the Dots’) to protect endangered dotterels nesting on the school field.

Some longtime Waiheke conservation heroes were celebrated in the Gulf News for their tireless efforts in eradicating predators, planting, clearing and weeding . And a group of Waiheke Resources Trust interns launched a new waterway monitoring project at Onetangi, Palm Beach and Oneroa.

In early September Auckland Transport presented a new plan to reduce congestion at Matiatia to the Local Board, which was later rejected by concerned locals on the grounds that it was too disruptive to current transport patterns and operators, and was also perceived to favour tourists over commuters and local residents. The Board instead endorsed an amended plan that aims to deliver a safer environment for residents and visitors alike, and an improved bus interchange. AT was also in the hot seat over Waiheke’s new bus network, which many islanders are very unhappy about. 

In late September, Save Kennedy Point Inc was back in the Environment Court carrying on its fight against the proposed marina at Kennedy Point. And a large group of Waiheke students, teachers, supporters and caregivers marched down Ocean View Road on the 27th, joining 170,000 other New Zealanders striking for climate action.

Finally, congratulations to returning Local Board members Cath Handley (voted Chair again at the Board’s inaugural meeting), Paul Walden and  Bob Upchurch (Deputy Chair), and newly elected members Robyn Tucker and Kylee Matthews. It is great to see the “tried and trusted” stalwarts of the Local Board joined by some fresh new faces (including newly elected councillor for the Waitemata and Gulf Islands ward Pippa Coom).  We look forward to a continuation of the Board’s good work, and some timely new initiatives in the coming year.

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Should Waiheke Follow in Faroe Islands' Steps?→

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Should Waiheke Follow in Faroe Islands' Steps?

Article originally published in Stuff 15/11/19. Written by Natalie B Compton.

It's not every day that a tourism board tells the traveling public to stay away from the destination it works to promote. But Visit Faroe Islands is doing just that with its decision to limit tourist access to the island chain, a territory of Denmark, this spring.

The initiative aims to draw attention to the issue of overtourism by closing major parts of the islands for maintenance, from April 16 to 17, 2020, opting instead to host 100 volunteers for the weekend. The tourism board debuted the "Closed for Maintenance" project this year, resulting in "unprecedented success."

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PFW Winter News Roundup

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Lots of great sustainability action happening on Waiheke

The local community is humming with conservation, environmental protection and sustainability initiatives, mostly carried out by volunteers.  An impressive but by-no-means exhaustive list includes:

These are just the projects that have made it into the local news recently. Others continue their work quietly in the background, sustaining the community, the environment and the Waiheke spirit: the Volunteer Fire Brigade, Forest and Bird (Hauraki Gulf Branch), Native Bird Rescue, Meals on Wheels and many more.

You can find these and other Waiheke organisations right here on our ‘MAD’ (Make a Difference) website, which has been set up to help island locals who want to get more involved in the many fun activities that keep our community strong. To list your organisation , or find an organisation you’d like to engage with, click here and go MAD about Waiheke!

Does NZ need to better manage tourist numbers?

“Crowded towns, clogged roads, dangerous drivers, filthy freedom campers, congested trails: the rapid growth in tourism is causing concerns throughout New Zealand, and headaches for politicians and public alike.” In a recent North & South article Mike White investigates the growing backlash in New Zealand communities against the impacts of what they perceive as ‘overtourism’ on the health of our environment and New Zealanders’ ability to enjoy their own country.

Around the world, popular tourism destination communities are looking for ways to both protect their social as well as natural environments, while still hanging onto the economic benefits of tourism – Boracay, a tiny island in the Philippines, closed for six months to help it recover from the two million tourists it was getting each year; Maya Bay in Thailand, which featured in the movie The Beach, has been closed till 2021 because of environmental destruction; and recently Peru has further limited numbers to the wonderful Machu Picchu, not only to protect habitat for wild chinchillas, but to ensure a wonderful visitor experience. Closer to home, the Mermaid Pools near Northland’s Matapōuri Bay were closed indefinitely in April due to environmental damage from rubbish and human waste, and Queenstown’s council is seeking to introduce a 5% levy on accommodation to help address increases in waste management costs due to tourism.

With increasing community engagement and the many sustainability projects currently happening on Waiheke, we will hopefully be able to avoid extreme measures like these, and look forward to an enjoyable summer for residents and visitors alike.

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