Aircraft landings on Mt Aspiring feature in the review of the Mt Aspiring National Park management plan.
The Otago Conservation Board heard at a recent meeting in Alexandra there was great interest in an exclusion period for aircraft landings at Bevan Col proposed in the draft plan.
The Department of Conservation had decided an exclusion period might not be needed or appropriate, but the climbing fraternity was divided on the issue.
Doc spokeswoman Bronwyn Hunt said it now proposed both annual and daily aircraft limits (110 landings a year and a maximum of four a day), which would cap levels at present use.
Concession allocation on Mt Aspiring would be capped at about half the present 450-500 climbers a year.
The noise and impact on other users in the Siberia-Wilkin area from aircraft activity had been widely discussed and Ms Hunt said while many people appreciated that form of access, the noise was a problem to others.
"It is acknowledged that aircraft activity has been a feature of this area for many years and the existing concessionaires should be able to continue their businesses, but with only limited ability for growth."
Staff were discussing whether to limit activity in the mornings and evenings.
Landing sites in the Otago Conservancy, except for Bevan Col and Siberia, had been classified as high, medium or low-use sites, and those would be in the draft plan.
Doc had also reiterated its decision to allow limited concession activity in the wilderness area.
Public consultation had shown a wide range of views, with a majority wanting to keep wilderness areas concession free.
Marketing regularised routes, if they were opened up, could prove to be an issue, so Doc would push for no concessions to ensure more effective management.
The recent unauthorised placing of bolts on the northwest ridge of Mt Aspiring had highlighted the need for policy direction in the draft plan.
It was an offence under the National Parks Act to deliberately remove vegetation and modify natural rock, Ms Hunt said.
Recreation and user groups strongly supported a no-bolting policy, she said.
The same groups also supported strong direction on human waste disposal, particularly in the high alpine zone.
