$2m plan to target freedom campers

Wardens will patrol two West Coast tourist hot spots to catch unscrupulous freedom campers as councils unveil a $2 million plan to tackle the problem.

Tourism Minister Kelvin Davis has provided $2.2m to the three West Coast district councils for new toilets and rubbish facilities to encourage ‘‘responsible freedom campers’’.

Buller District Council is using most of its $582,000 pot to develop new freedom camping sites at Ngakawau Recreation Reserve, Punakaiki, Reefton, and Fox River.

Some will be used to pay for two wardens to police tourism hot spots around Reefton and Punakaiki over summer and early autumn

Buller mayor Garry Howard said $422,000 would be spent building toilets and rubbish facilities at each site, and the council would improve signage and information about freedom camping online and in brochures. Another chunk would be spent hiring people to patrol areas where freedom camping had been banned, but problems were still arising.

Howard said popular tourist spots like Punakaiki were bedevilled with problems last summer from freedom campers leaving human waste and rubbish on the side of the roads, beaches and rivers.

Freedom camping is banned in several areas including Charleston, around the mouth of the Oparara River, and the Carters Beach domain.

About $40,000 will be used to pay two part-time wardens to patrol areas around Reefton and Punakaiki between December 1 and April 21. The wardens, who will be on duty morning and night, will be able to issue fines of between $50 and $200.

‘‘We decided there was no point in having a freedom camping bylaw if we were not monitoring it,’’ Howard said. ‘‘The first step is educating people but if there is a breach then there are fines which can be applied.’’

Council project manager Glenn Irving said Buller previously had only one compliance officer working across the whole district.

‘‘Punakaiki was the main trouble spot. I’ve seen photos of car parks that would have seven vehicles during the day and about 20 campervans at night – that’s unpleasant for everybody, especially locals who can’t enjoy their favourite places because they have campervans blocking beach access for three days.’’

Jed Findlay, whose family runs the Punakaiki Beach Camp, said it was ‘‘fantastic’’ the council was taking the issue seriously.

‘‘To have some controls on freedom camping rather than the wild, wild west it is at the moment, I’m happy,’’ Findlay said.

But commercial operator Logan Skinner, who is building a camp ground in Franz Josef for budget campers, was concerned the move to set up freedom camping sites would be in direct competition with business owners.

Skinner’s ground will have 100 unpowered sites, hot showers, toilets and rubbish facilities, and he plans to charge $15 for each spot.

‘‘We have been told freedom camping is a problem and we have come up with a solution, then the council comes along and sets up their own thing in competition. We can only make our business economically viable if we have the volumes because our price point has to be cheap enough to discourage them from camping on the side of the road.’’

‘‘We decided there was no point in having a freedom camping bylaw if we were not monitoring it.’’ Buller mayor Garry Howard