Background

This measure relates to indicator 3.2.2 – Opportunities, facilities and services provided meet customer expectations and preferences.

DOC invests heavily in visitor assets to support recreation on public conservation lands and waters. We continually inspect and maintain these assets to ensure they continue to meet the expectations of visitors and remain safe to use.

In early 2023, many parts of the North Island experienced several weather events which impacted on visitor assets.


The proportions of structures and tracks managed to standard met performance targets this year. The proportion of huts to standard remained below the performance target of 90%.

What did we measure?

DOC uses the Destination Management Framework (DMF) to inform its management of key visitor assets at the site level. Under the DMF, all visitor sites are classified into one of four categories (Icon, Gateway, Local Treasure and Backcountry). Each category meets the needs of a different primary user group.

DOC has performance targets for three significant categories of assets (‘Structures’, ‘Huts’ and ‘Tracks’) to ensure its obligations under the Statement of Intent are met and these assets remain safe for the public to use.

What did we find?

  • Huts, tracks and structures decreased in the proportions meeting standards over 2022/23, with tracks and structures still meeting performance targets of 45% for tracks and 95% for structures. The proportion of huts to standard remains below the performance target of 90%.

  • Structures: DOC managed 12,252 structures for use by visitors to public conservation land in 2022/23. The proportion of structures managed to standard this year was 95%, which continues to meet the performance target of 95% (Figure 1 & Table 1).

  • Huts: DOC managed 946 huts for use by visitors to public conservation land in 2022/23. The proportion of huts managed to standard this year was 80%. This is below last year’s proportion of 89% and remains below the performance target of 90%, which has not been reached in the last five years (Figure 2 & Table 1).

  • Tracks: DOC managed 14,785 km of tracks for use by visitors to public conservation land in 2022/23. The proportion of tracks managed to standard this year was 52% (down from last year’s proportion of 61%). This continues to meet the performance target of 45%, which has been exceeded in each of the last five years (Figure 3 & Table 1).

All graphs can be customised by selecting/deselecting ‘Regions’ from the key. Additional information can be obtained by hovering over year points on the graph. In 2022/23, DOC realigned its regions to create a new Eastern North Island region. No data is available for this region for earlier years.

2018/192019/202020/212021/222022/23020406080100
NationalNorthern North IslandAucklandHauraki-Waikato-TaranakiCentral North IslandEastern North IslandLower North IslandNorthern South IslandEastern South IslandWestern South IslandSouthern South IslandFinancial yearProportion to Standard (%)

Figure 1: Percentage of structures ‘to standard’ by region and financial year. The red line represents DOC’s performance target for structures.

2018/192019/202020/212021/222022/23020406080100
NationalNorthern North IslandAucklandHauraki-Waikato-TaranakiCentral North IslandEastern North IslandLower North IslandNorthern South IslandEastern South IslandWestern South IslandSouthern South IslandFinancial yearProportion to Standard (%)

Figure 2: Percentage of huts ‘to standard’ by region and financial year. The red line represents DOC’s performance target for huts.

2018/192019/202020/212021/222022/23020406080100
NationalNorthern North IslandAucklandHauraki-Waikato-TaranakiCentral North IslandEastern North IslandLower North IslandNorthern South IslandEastern South IslandWestern South IslandSouthern South IslandFinancial yearProportion to Standard (%)

Figure 3: Percentage of tracks ‘to standard’ by region and financial year. The red line represents DOC’s performance target for tracks.

This interactive table displays all of the specific data that informed the figures. The table can be customised by selecting one or more search parameters from the menus in the ‘Region’, ‘Asset type’, ‘Financial year’, and ‘Proportion to standard’ fields. Use backspace to clear selection. In 2022/23, DOC realigned its regions to create a new Eastern North Island region. No data is available for this region for earlier years.

Data quality

The data used in this report have been compiled from DOC’s SAP module for Enterprise Asset Management (EAM). EAM has replaced the Asset Management Information System (AMIS) previously used to support asset management. EAM uses a different system to AMIS to categorise assets, which has resulted in some changes to the types of assets included in the structures category.

In the year 2022/23, this report includes all visitor structures, huts, and tracks reported through EAM via the SAP Analytics Cloud report for Non-Financial Performance Levels – Visitor. Some huts, tracks and structures not managed by DOC are no longer included. Data for this report was extracted from EAM on 4 July 2023.

Glossary of terms

Backcountry destinations are places where people can do a range of outdoor activities, be self-reliant and close to nature.

Gateway destinations are developed to introduce new participants and to grow recreation in the outdoors.

Icon sites are developed to support the growth of domestic and international tourism.

Local Treasures are managed to grow community connection with, and use of, locally important places.