$8.5 million for freedom camping fixes this summer

Wednesday, 15 August 2018

The Government has agreed to put $8.5 million into fixing freedom camping problems that have plagued popular scenic spots over recent summers.

Tourism Minister Kelvin Davis said the funding would be available for a series of fixes recommended by the Responsible Camping Working Group, a body set up in April with representatives from government agencies, councils and the tourism industry.

The money allocated to 28 local authorities will largely be spent on toilet and camping facilities, education and signage, and employing more staff to enforce camping rules.

Major recipients include West Coast councils ($1.6m), Queenstown Lakes District ($530,000), and the Mackenzie and Waitaki Districts ($548,000).

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'Kiwis and visitors have a long tradition of enjoying camping in New Zealand,' Davis said.

'The next peak season is fast approaching and I want people to be able to camp responsibly while ensuring the facilities are in place to support our communities.'

Davis said not all the solutions put forward by the working group would be in place by this summer, and he would consider longer term legislative and regulatory changes.

The group has recommended an overhaul of the Freedom Camping Act, or new legislation to encourage responsible camping and ensure consistent rules across the country.

It said campers were currently often unsure where to camp and having four specific camping zones used nation wide would clear up that confusion.

The working group wants a register of self-contained vehicles to clamp down on the use of fake stickers.

It called for more education of visitors via a marketing campaign to be run by Tourism New Zealand, and for better oversight of the system for certifying vehicles as selfcontained to maintain standards and stamp out the use of fake selfcontained stickers.

Local Government New Zealand president Dave Cull said the funding provided some relief to ratepayers footing the bill for tourism infrastructure, but a local tourism levy was still needed in the long term to help pay for facilities used by both residents and visitors.

According to the Ministry of Business Innovation and Employment the 110,000 international tourists who did some freedom camping last year accounted for just 3 per cent of all visitors, and they spent $530m.

Tourism Industry Aotearoa chief executive and working group member Chris Roberts said the sector had to be managed but campers were an important part of New Zealand's tourism industry.

'They travel widely through the country, tend to stay a long time and spend money on a wide range of goods and activities.'

Roberts said the latest initiatives were a good start, but there was no quick fix and longer term changes were needed.

Current commercial camping ground regulations were very prescriptive when it came to sizes of sites and distances between vehicles, and this made it difficult to provide low cost facilities when demand was high over peak season.

'On a freedom camping site you will see much more crowded together groups of campers than what would be allowed in a commercial camp.

'If, still considering safety requirements, people are prepared to have that, and it can be provided by a commercial operator, they may be able to do that. At the moment it's virtually impossible.'

Efforts to offer that low cost alternative got a boost in the latest announcement with the Tasman District Council funding for a $200,000 KiwiCamp facility where campers use an app to pay to shower, wash dishes, do laundry and use Wi-Fi.

KiwiCamp founder Chris Wagner said it would be one of four he planned to have up and running this summer, with the intention of establishing a national network.