Crackdown proposed for freedom camping
Tougher penalties and fines are on the cards as the Government seeks people’s views on a crackdown on irresponsible freedom camping. The Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) also wants people’s views about whether freedom camping vehicles should be self-contained and what type of self-containment vehicles should have.
A move to making permanently plumbed onboard toilets compulsory could mean an end to the budget sleeper or so-called “sliding door” vans and cars which have been blamed for some of the issues associated with freedom camping.
Two of the options include making it mandatory for freedom camping in a vehicle to be done in a certified selfcontained vehicle, or allowing for non-certified vehicles only if they are staying at a site with toilets.
MBIE is also proposing tougher penalties and fines for those caught flouting the rules.
It is holding a public forum at the Great Lake Centre in Taupo¯ tomorrow, Friday, April 30, from 11am to 1pm for people to have their say.
The discussion document on MBIE’s website says in recent years the increasing number of freedom campers has raised concern from some communities around freedom campers’ cumulative impact on the environment, and the cost to host them.
“In particular, this concern has focused on the subset of freedom campers who stay in cars, or vans with sleeping platforms, that are not self-contained. This is impacting communities’ attitudes towards visitors and their willingness to host them — and impacting on the social licence for tourism.”
Tourism Minister Stuart Nash, who is driving the proposals, says one of the most consistent complaints he has heard relate to freedom camping, particularly campers who travel in vehicles without toilet facilities.
“The most consistent complaints I hear about the tourism sector relate to abuse of the freedom camping rules,” Nash said while releasing the proposals earlier this month.
“A sub-group of visitors are spoiling the experience for more responsible campers, and for locals who are left to clean up the mess.”
Nash said he had no issues with self-contained campervans — “we love those” — but vans with no onboard toilet were harming the country’s environment and its “100 per cent pure” brand.
Research published by MBIE in 2020 found that 74 per cent of international visitors who freedom camped had hired or purchased a vehicle that had a toilet. However, only 28 per cent of them actually used it.
Taupo¯ environmental advocate Didymo Dave Cade, who also acts as a freedom camping ambassador for the Taupo¯ District Council, says he thinks the idea of having freedom camping restricted to self-contained vehicles is “a really good idea”.
“I’d be really in favour of permanent plumbing in vans,” Dave says. As he goes around welcoming campers, particularly before the borders closed, he often came across people in so-called “sliding door” vans who claimed to be self-contained because they have a toilet.
He says while the majority of freedom campers were good, a minority were not. “You can tell the ones you have to look out for just by the body language. I’ve struck the odd one that’s said ‘we’re self-contained’ and I say ‘show me your toilet then please’.
“They show me the toilet and it’s still wrapped in plastic, and I say ‘you’re having me on . . . how about you find your way over to Reid’s Farm and we’ll be happy’. And they usually go. You’ve got to be a little bit firm.”
NZMCA chief executive Bruce Lochore has welcomed the proposed changes to the future of freedom camping but said NZMCA would push back on the proposal for selfcontainment status to only be granted to vehicles with “plumbed toilets”.
“At present some 5500 of our members’ vehicles (that’s about 10 per cent of our membership) have met the strict requirements of the CSC Standard and we certainly believe such vehicles should be allowed for.”
Freedom camping in the Taupo¯ district has been less of an issue since 2017 when the Taupo¯ District Council introduced a bylaw which restricted non self-contained freedom camping to just four district sites.
At the time, the majority of feedback was that the community wanted freedom camping off the lakefront and non-self-contained camping restricted.
Go to www.mbie.govt.nz/ have-your-say to read the Supporting Sustainable Freedom Camping discussion document or make a submission. A public meeting will be held in the Great Lake Centre on Friday, April 30 from 11am to 1pm.