Somerfield, Emily Grace2020-12-082020-12-082020https://hdl.handle.net/10182/13142Since the 1800s, the Franz Josef and Fox Glaciers in Westland Tai Poutini National Park have drawn visitors to the West Coast region of New Zealand’s South Island. However, rapid glacial retreat over the past decade has created challenges in providing safe visitor access to these glaciers. This has had significant impacts for the local tourism industry, and challeneged the adaptive capacity of the Planning sector to respond to ongoing glacial changes within this dynamic environment. The planinng sector’s response to diminished visitor access has yet to be examined. Using a qualitative approach, this research investigated planning decisions made in relation to visitor access to the glaciers, as well as possibilities for future management of this unique natural environment through semi-structured interviews with planning stakeholders. Results revealed various statutory, non-statutory, and community-based responses to glacier retreat and diminished visitor access, and demonstrated that visitor access to the glaciers is affected by more than just glacier retreat.enFranz Josef glacier, Fox glacier, Westland Tai Poutini National Park, glacier retreat, climate change, adaptive strategies, planning, tourism.Franz Josef glacierFox GlacierWestland Tai Poutini National Parkglaciersglacier tourismclimate changeadaptive strategiesplanningtourismDissertationANZSRC::050209 Natural Resource ManagementANZSRC::150603 Tourism ManagementANZSRC::150601 Impacts of TourismQ112953870