Visits to wildlife sanctuary Ulva Island/Te Wharawhara may soon come at an extra cost due to a proposed fee.

A report on the island’s wharf has revealed a new fee of $4 per person, per visit, could come into play in a bid to ease pressure on local ratepayers.

Ulva Island, off Stewart Island/Rakiura, is a pest-free sanctuary open to the public.

“This proposed fee is focused on tourists and visitors that use the Ulva Island wharf, to generate funding for the ongoing repair and maintenance of Stewart Island wharves,” the report said.

The cost would only apply if the wharf was upgraded, which was the main topic of the two-page document prepared for the Stewart Island/Rakiura Community Board’s Thursday meeting.

Located at Post Office Cove, the embattled wharf is the only one on Ulva Island.

The wharf at Post Office Cove is the only one on the island. It has fallen into disrepair and requires serious work (File photo). Supplied

Restrictions were placed on the wharf in September 2023 by Southland District Council which deemed it to be at the end of its functional life.

In March 2024, council staff were directed to engage with the Hunter Family Trust about a potential transfer of ownership, but the organisation is still considering its options.

But the significant repairs needed to prolong its life are yet to begin.

The report showed council staff were still to receive engineering advice and plans so that a design could be finalised ahead of next steps.

An engineer had been engaged to provide guidance on rebuilding the wharf, but their workload meant design advice was not available in time for the meeting.

Stewart Island/Rakiura ward councillor Jon Spraggon would not be pushed for comment on the proposed $4 fee ahead of the meeting, but said last year the wharf had been a topic of discussion for the 17 years he’d been on the community board.

The project has funding of around $900,000 earmarked from the Tourism Infrastructure Fund and Stewart Island Visitor Levy, which is set to increase from $10 to $15 per person in October.

Despite being a predator free reserve, Ulva Island has battled rats in recent years.

Since the beginning of 2024, there have been two instances where lone rats were discovered in traps on the island, prompting incursion responses.

The rodents are capable of swimming to the island from nearby Stewart Island.

LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air