Campers may push locals out of reserves
The mayor of a picturesque district between tourism hotspots Hobbiton and Waitomo Caves fears freedom campers could push locals out of prime reserves if there’s no limit on numbers.
Waipa¯ ’s parks are heavily populated with travelling campers, especially during the summer holiday season, and Mayor Jim Mylchreest said any rule changes must keep locals’ use in mind.
New freedom camping regulations are in the pipeline from the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment which is asking councils for feedback.
It includes making it mandatory to stay in a vehicle that is certified as ‘‘selfcontained’’ unless they are staying at a site which has toilets. It also aims to improve rules for councils to manage freedom campers and to take a harder line on ensuring campers had selfcontained vehicles.
The ministry’s research showed the number of international visitors who went freedom camping had increased from 54,000 in 2013 to about 123,000 in 2018.
The council’s strategic planning and policy committee met to discuss the proposed changes this week and heard from staff that freedom camping did not pose a major problem for Waipa¯ , at the moment.
Staff noted some problems around reserves dotted along Lake Kara¯ piro, but signs had been set up with information signalling where and when freedom campers could park up.
But the committee also heard the council had no staff available to routinely patrol the parks and it relied on neighbours to dob in those not following the rules.
Mylchreest said while freedom campers weren’t posing ‘‘much of a problem’’ at the moment, the council would have to prepare for the possibility of harder enforcement.
That would mean finding the funding to help pay for extra staff to make sure the parks were monitored.
‘‘I suppose it’s all very well having freedom campers but I don’t want to limit the use of reserves to ratepayers because of the volume of freedom campers taking over.
‘‘At some point we are going to have to limit the number because the sheer volume will push out locals using those reserves and let’s face it, the reserves are funded by the ratepayers.
‘‘We need to be mindful that our locals need to get to those reserves as well.’’
Other councillors were sceptical about the signs campervans might be required to display to validate they were using a self-container vehicle.
Councillor Roger Gordon said anyone could print off a sign and ‘‘pop it on the vehicle’’.
Speaking after the meeting, the council’s community services manager Sally Sheedy said people generally abided by the rules.
‘‘We do every now and again, but only during the peak summer time, have some problems but it’s limited to one or two complaints. And that would generally be from neighbours of those parks, the community does have an eye on those areas for us.’’
Sheedy said she understood the councillors’ concerns about how freedom campers could be checked if the proposed law changes were made.
‘‘We don’t have staff who can go around checking the vehicles but we are relying on the goodwill of everyone who does have the vehicles, that they are selfcontained. We are in a different situation to others because the campsites on Lake Kara¯ piro for example do have toilet facilities for people, who are freedom camping, to use.’’
Freedom camping reserves in Waipa¯ : Lake Nga¯ Roto; Rata-tu Reserve, Kihikihi; Kihikihi Domain; Keeley’s Reserve; Moanaroa Reserve; Horahora Domain; Bulmer’s Landing and Arapuni Landing.