Vigilantism fears over freedom camp site
The spectre of vigilantism has been raised amid anger over freedom camping at a Wakefield reserve, about 25km south of Nelson.
Submitters on Monday were at times passionate at the third of three hearings for the Tasman District Council’s draft Freedom Camping Bylaw 2017.
Most people who spoke about the Edward Baigent Reserve called for freedom camping to be banned, which has some of the largest podocarps on the Waimea Plains, notably kahikatea, to¯tara and mataı¯.
They were angered at the number of campers using the reserve and the waste some left behind as well the effect on the bush.
‘‘There’s all kinds of little rebellions going on,’’ JP and former police detective sergeant John Dearing told the hearing panel at Wakefield.
‘‘There’s a vigilante group I know exists. They’re talking about taking the law into their own hands, padlocking the gate up again so it’s closed.’’
Dearing said he had had ‘‘plenty of good barbecues’’ at the reserve ‘‘until two, three, four years ago when the campers started taking over and it became virtually a no-go zone for us locals’’.
Wakefield Bush Restoration Society president Doug South, speaking as an individual, said the reserve had significant ecological and historical importance and asked why it was allowed to be turned into a ‘‘rubbish tip and gravel yard’’.
‘‘We are totally pissed off with what’s going on,’’ he said. ‘‘You’ve heard people talking about the vigilante group. There are people around here who are serious if something isn’t sorted out with this place.’’
Evie South presented a sub- mission in her own right and on behalf of others including Wakefield chief fire officer Fritz Buckendahl. The brigade was called to the reserve twice last summer to put out two open fires, South said, reading a statement from Buckendahl.
‘‘On both occasions, the people responsible had no regard to the fire ban in place.’’
The crew struggled to reach the fire because vehicles were parked at the entrance and along the driveway. It was so overcrowded that some tents were touching.
‘‘So if a tent caught fire, the spread of fire would be rapid and potentially life-threatening.’’
Wakefield resident and school principal Peter Verstappen said he wanted the council to be part of a wider conversation around freedom camping and that there was a risk to the ‘‘resource of goodwill’’ from the practice.
‘‘When you talk to tourists ... one of the things they love about New Zealand [is] the friendly natives,’’ Verstappen said. ’’We are really at risk ... of losing that because people like us are getting pissed off.’’
The hearing heard the council may buy some land adjacent to the reserve to use as a freedom camping spot.
TDC regulatory manager Adrian Humphries said the park was gifted for the purposes of camping.
However, the greatgranddaughter of Edward Baigent, Heather Baigent, said that was not the intent.
Shewas joined by her cousins, Kent Baigent and Gwenda Parker, to present a submission on behalf of all of the cousins whose parents gifted the land to the then Waimea County Council in 1951.
Heather Baigent said she and her cousins grew up in that bush. Their great-grandfather and grandparents looked after it and their parents gifted it to the community.
‘‘If our parents were alive now and saw it, there’s no way they would have gifted it,’’ she said.