Budget boost to tackle freedom camping
Tasman District Council has increased its freedom camping enforcement budget threefold as it prepares for the traditionally busy holiday season.
Regulatory manager Adrian Humphries said the previous budget of $5000 had been boosted by an additional $15,000.
The extra money would put help put ‘‘more boots on the ground’’ for compliance as the council anticipates the district could host more freedom campers this season because of the closure of part of State Highway 1 in the wake of the November 14 earthquake.
Humphries said the bulk of the compliance work involved education. The ‘‘vast majority’’ of freedom campers were respectful, decent people who did not want to upset residents or ruin the environment.
‘‘It really isn’t groups of marauding [young people] going about causing dramas,’’ he said.
Some people seemed to believe that a lot of young foreign visitors were dumping their rubbish and ’’pooing behind every bush’’ but that was not the case. Freedom campers who behaved badly were ‘‘really, really rare’’, Humphries said.
Just last week, a compliance officer discovered a group at the Reilly St car park in Takaka.
‘‘There were 10 vans, 13 people and not a drop of rubbish anywhere around them,’’ Humphries said.
The odd ‘‘bad apple’’ among freedom campers would be targeted but not all were foreign visitors, as some people appeared to believe. Humphries said about half the infringement notices issued in the district were for New Zealanders.
‘‘Some of the most difficult people are people who live in Nelson-Tasman,’’ he said.
There was also a large number of itinerant workers in the district for long periods who used vehicles or tents for accommodation. Humphries said discussions were under way via pipfruit groups to try and ensure there was suitable accommodation for those workers.
One of the main problem areas had been at the car park near the Motueka Saltwater Baths. How- ever, a recent change to the parking rules that prevented overnight parking at the site was expected to discourage the practice.
Work was also under way to assess the viability for low-cost camping grounds including two in the Motueka area.