Sewage overflow blamed on freedom campers
An overflowing septic tank has been leaking into Canterbury’s Akaroa Harbour as public toilets become overwhelmed with the demand from freedom campers.
The discovery on Tuesday was the last straw for residents who are now calling for an immediate closure of the French Farm freedom camping site for campers without self-contained toilets.
Residents were also calling for a complete ban on non-self contained freedom camping across Banks Peninsula.
The Christchurch City Council had no plans to immediately close the French Farm site and would instead close the toilets at French Farm on Thursday, replacing them with four portaloos. Council head of parks Andrew Rutledge said the council would place signs either side of the leaking culvert to warn people to avoid swimming or using that area of the beach.
French Farm resident Chris Goldspink said it was frustrating no-one at the council thought to increase the number of times the septic tank was emptied, given the huge number of campers there.
Goldspink said the number of freedom campers was a health and safety risk. At its peak, he counted 56 vehicles on a small piece of foreshore and most vehicles had at least two people in them.
‘‘It’s quite extraordinary how many cars they pack into a small area. I’ve seen some quite danger- ous and inappropriate parking practices.’’
He said vehicles often parked 15 centimetres apart and occupants clambered out of the boot, which hung over the road – a 70kmh zone.
The council installed signs designed to keep vehicles two metres from the road, but they were ignored, and cars were frequently parked three deep, Goldspink said.
Campers could stay on part of the French Farm foreshore, under the council’s Freedom Camping bylaw introduced in December last year, for up to two nights in any 30 day period.
Council licensing compliance manager Fiona Proudfoot said staff were exploring the options available under the bylaw to man- age all freedom camping sites, including French Farm, following the high number of campers.
Akaroa-Wairewa Community Board chairwoman Pam Richardson said she supported the residents’ call for a ban of non-self contained freedom camping on Banks Peninsula. ‘‘We desperately need to do something.’’
Banks Peninsula ward councillor Andrew Turner said freedom camping across Christchurch and the peninsula needed to be looked at after this season’s problems. If the French Farm site was closed, the problem would only move to other areas.
Councillors have signalled the bylaw will be reviewed much sooner than the originally planned 2017.