More camping confusion

Checks on whether self-contained vehicles staying at New Plymouth beauty spots are complying with the rules are inadequate, New Zealand’s biggest motor home group has warned.

Last month the regulations governing freedom camping in New Plymouth were tightened up, limiting the spaces available for non-self-contained vehicles after chaotic scenes at some of the district’s most picturesque spots last summer.

But those driving selfcontained vehicles can stay anywhere camping isn’t prohibited – provided they are certified selfcontained and display all the documentation required.

NPDC customer and regulatory solutions manager Katrina Brunton said security guards were checking that self-contained vehicles had a sticker on the rear showing it had the certification.

However, the stickers have been illegally offered for sale online and James Imlach, of the New Zealand Motor Caravan Association (NZMCA), said the guards should not be relying on them.

Imlach said the vehicles should also display a warrant on the front windscreen and have certification inside available to be checked.

‘‘They need to check the warrant in the front and the certification to be sure.

‘‘If that information isn’t available then that vehicle technically is not certified as self-contained.

‘‘We do remind enforcement officers and security firms that they have to check and rely on that warrant rather than just the sticker on the back.’’

In February 2018 the NZMCA issued a temporary stay on the ability of its officers to certify people-movers and similar small car conversions because of testing officers in the industry developing varying interpretations of new requirements.

Imlach said the organisation had been working alongside central and local government to reestablish an authority to oversee the administration of the selfcontained standard.

‘‘At the moment there’s no-one doing that.

‘‘We’ve been pushing quite hard for some time to have that government agency brought back into that space. That would hopefully weed out some of those certificates that may be being issued to vehicles that shouldn’t have passed the test.’’

He said councils needed the right management tools to address issues around freedom camping and at the moment the self -contained standard was the only resource available to control the type of vehicle in the district.

‘‘We can’t ignore the fact that there are problems and these problems are not going away,’’ he said. ‘‘We want to protect that ability but some people unfortunately just don’t want to tow the line.

‘‘So we have to provide councils with the ability to protect the environment and ensure that the communities aren’t going to be negatively affected.’’

Imlach said the organisation supported the need for rules and regulations but they needed to be fair and sensible.

‘‘We are certainly not advocating for rules that stop Kiwis from doing what they have done for generations.’’

In December, the New Plymouth District Council introduced regulations banning tents and limiting the spaces available for non-self-contained vehicles.

The new rules restricted nonself-contained (NSC) freedom campers to four parks at Lake Rotomanu, five at Corbett Park, Oakura, and six at Waitara’s Battiscombe Tce.