A Parliamentary select committee backs a proposal for visitors to Steward Island to pay a levy.
Legislation allowing Southland District Council to charge short-term visitors a fee has been considered by the Local Government and Environment Select Committee which recommends that it be passed.
Invercargill MP Eric Roy (National) is sponsoring the legislation. He says the island gets about 40,000 visitors per year and the number is increasing.
Mr Roy says the levy would probably be around $4 - $5 per visitor and would help meet infrastructure costs.
He says infrastructure is very expensive to build on the island because of the cost of transporting raw materials and high electricity costs.
