Campers are free to roam
Freedom campers visiting Kaiko¯ ura this summer are free to set up wherever they like because there is no bylaw on the issue.
The Kaiko¯ ura District Council established three ‘‘responsible freedom camping’’ sites before Christmas after forming a working group to tackle camping issues. The most controversial of the sites, at South Bay, is causing a furore because of its proximity to a colony of nesting banded dotterels. The birds are considered nationally vulnerable, with fewer than 20,000 left.
The working group recommended a maximum of 20 vehicles at the site each day but the signage was misprinted, changing the figure to 30.
Some nights there has been more than 100 vehicles.
Peketa Beach Holiday Park owner Ruth McCaa said she was concerned by the council’s lack of action in limiting freedom campers at South Bay.
‘‘We are without a doubt affected by the opening of this facility as our campground is nowhere near as full as last year. We are still recovering from the [November 2016] earthquake and our council has really let us, our employees and the Kaiko¯ura accommodation sector down.’’
Council spokeswoman Libby Clifford said the council was working to decrease incidents of unwanted behaviour, to support commercial alternatives to freedom camping, and to make easier for affected residents report issues or to act guardians for camping areas.
‘‘Council staff have also been monitoring responsible camping ... [through] site visits, using CCTV to track vehicle numbers, discussions with stakeholders such as campground owners, residents and businesses, local police and fire, monitoring Facebook and local media, recording and responding to complaints.’’ The council wanted to ‘‘understand the issues and impacts around camping as a whole’’. Since October, it had received 13 complaints or requests for service, ranging from general disapproval to complaints about the number or behaviour of campers.
Kaiko¯ ura resident Guus Kok said the South Bay site had become an eyesore. He counted 65 vehicles at the site one evening it to as last week and filled two plastic bags with rubbish left on the ground. The council has provided three portaloos but no bins. Clifford said research showed bins often caused more issues as locals and visitors abused them.
‘‘Instead, council is following the ‘pack in, pack out’ approach and encouraging all campers to remove any rubbish they generate.’’ Clifford said the council would work to determine whether changes needed to be made for next summer.
‘‘Without a bylaw, council has no legal authority to prevent visitors from camping and, in most cases, no legal ability to stop people camping on the beach.’’
All councils were tasked with implementing their own policies and bylaws by the Freedom Camping Act in 2011. The Kaiko¯ura council has been discussing the best way to deal with the issue since.