A ruling that fewer tourist helicopters on scenic flights should be allowed to land on a remote Fiordland glacier has been praised by trampers.
In 2016 the Department of Conservation decided to increase the number of landings allowed by tourist helicopters on the Ngapunatoru Plateau, near Milford Sound, to as many as 80 per day.
This was part of a trial to assess whether increased landings would be detrimental to the area's environment.
It was reported at the time that the department had come under pressure from the previous government and tourism operators to allow the landings.
But the Federated Mountain Clubs, a lobby representing trampers and mountaineers, argued this was a breach of the Fiordland National Park Management Plan and took their complaint to the Ombudsman.
Ombudsman Leo Donnelly agreed and in a report finalised earlier this month ordered the department to cancel the extra landings, calling them "contrary to law" and the national park's management plan.
He recommended the department cancel the increase in daily landings and instead allocate a strategy to fairly allocate a limited roster of landings on the Ngapunatoru Plateau.
FMC president Peter Wilson said the report was "a victory for the outdoor community, for the rule of law on public land, and for the intrinsic values of Fiordland".
"FMC always knew that DOC was wrong in granting the extra landings," he said.
"National park management plans mean what they say ... (and) are not open for abuse by the department in response to pressure from the previous government and the tourism industry."
Mr Donnelly said in his report that DOC had accepted his recommendations and would look to reduce the number of permitted helicopter landings to the same amount as before the trial for increased landings started in February 2016.
It said it would now work on a way to fairly allocate the reduced landing opportunities out to tourist operators and report back to the Ombudsman on its progress within 20 working days.
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