Concern over DCC’s freedom camping bylaw

REGARDING the proposed bylaw on freedom camping (ODT, 23.8.17): the Dunedin City Council is about to make the biggest mistake, which will return areas like the Warrington camping ground to a mess. They will not be able to control freedom campers that turn up, onboard toilets or not. Even if they are turned away, they still have to find a place to stop for the night and that could be anywhere.

For the past year, the numbers have been high at Warrington, due to the inaction of the DCC in finding other places to take the pressure off Warrington, which I believe is laziness on their part. I have spent a lot of time trying to keep the ground from turning into a ploughed paddock when it rains, with no help from any concerned residents who spend their time rushing round photographing campers or the worst areas of damage, then emailing the council. So, due to their naivety, the mess problem will return.

Short of banning tourists from Otago, restricting visitors to motor homes (usually owned by the wellheeled, which is only 5% of campers), the other 95% will have to go back to the bush. I will be the first to tell the DCC and some residents they caused that to happen. And I will no longer be available to volunteer my time.

Ken McHoull

Warrington [Jendi Paterson, operations manager, parks and recreation, Dunedin City Council, replies: ‘‘Staff have looked at a number of options for the future provision of noncertified, selfcontained vehicles in the Dunedin area and carried out a public consultation to gain the whole community’s views. The pending changes to the certification standards, a review of our neighbouring districts’ bylaws (to gain some wider regional consistency) and the changes since the 2015 bylaw was adopted have driven the recommended option.’’]