Camping jeopardized
CAMPERS who are overstaying at a Contact Energymanaged site along Lake Dunstan have been warned they risk ‘‘spoiling it for everybody else’’, as stakeholders consider closing the area during the peak of summer.
Contact manages the Burton Creek area of foreshore between the Clyde Dam and the Dunstan Arm Rowing Club, and signs explain a maximum of 12 selfcontained vehicles are permitted to camp in the area for a maximum of three nights.
But people in more than 30 vehicles, some nonself contained and others staying for a week or more have been camping in the area. Other vehicles have been camping in a nearby area beside a boat ramp, where cars and boat trailers park and all camping is banned.
Contact head of hydro generation Boyd Brinsdon said those who were not respecting the rules risked ‘‘spoiling it for everybody else’’, as things had reached the stage where Contact was considering banning all camping from that area over the ChristmasNew Year period.
This would be a shame for the lawful and respectful campers, but it was important to preserve daytime access to the area for locals and boatusers, Mr Brinsdon said.
He said Contact had been ‘‘trying to get the balance right’’ at the area for several years, and wanting to ‘‘meet the needs of people who are legitimately camping for just three days’’.
Those responsible campers were ‘‘good guardians’’ of the land and ‘‘very grateful’’ to have somewhere to park their selfcontained vehicles, and it was not fair for other irresponsible campers to jeopardize it for everybody else, Mr Brinsdon said.
For the last couple of summers Contact had paid about $3000 for private security contractors to patrol the Burton Creek site.
This summer Contact staff would step up monitoring this week, and security contractors would be brought in if needed.
Mr Brinsdon said any decision about banning camping from the Burton Creek area over the ChristmasNew Year period would be made before the next summer season.