Taranaki councils along with Local Government New Zealand have welcomed the new Freedom Camping Bill and the tools it will provide them in tackling freedom campers.
LGNZ president Lawrence Yule said freedom camping caused significant issues for many communities and threatened to tarnish New Zealand's clean green image.
"Poor behaviour from some campers is causing unsightly pollution, damaging the environment and undermining our international reputation.
"Many communities are sick of having to bear the wasteful cost of cleaning up the mess left behind by irresponsible freedom campers," he said.
While many did not have a freedom camper problem the bill would be a countrywide tool, giving all councils the option to identify areas where camping should be prohibited and enforcement options he said.
Members of all Taranaki district councils agree.
South Taranaki District Council engineering services group manager Neil McCann said the issue had been raised in his district from time to time but had not been a major issue. "But if it should ever become a significant issue, the bill would provide us with a mechanism to fine offenders," he said.
New Plymouth District Council regulatory services manager Simon Pickford said currently his council could only take problem campers to court under its Public Places Bylaw.
He said the $200 instant fine would make it much faster to deal with people camping illegally and the $10,000 fines would make most people think twice before leaving their effluent behind on beaches or reserves.
"However, we would use discretion and only issue a $200 infringement after a warning and asking the person to move on," he said.
While freedom camping was banned in the New Plymouth District Mr Pickford said the council was identifying areas where freedom camping could be allowed during Rugby World Cup 2011.
"We're going to have a big influx of visitors and a number of them will be freedom campers.
"We want to help them avoid any problems while they're here by identifying sites they can use which have toilet and shower facilities," he said.
Acting Stratford District Council chief executive Mike Avery said he welcomed the new provisions of the bill but would like to have seen a more complete approach to the problem. "I think that a more proactive stance should be taken.
"I am not convinced that much thought has been given to alternatives such as charging a levy on non-self-contained vehicles and using this to fund the establishment of appropriate facilities in high-pressure areas. "Or requiring a pre-purchase time limited ticket for using remote facilities," he said.
The use of fines in conjunction with this could be an improvement, Mr Avery believed.
Tourism Industry Association advocacy manager Geoff Ensor, who heads the New Zealand Freedom Camping Forum, also welcomed the new bill.
However, he questioned Environment Minister Nick Smith's comments about camper hire companies encouraging reckless and irresponsible behaviour when he announced the new bill on Sunday.
The freedom camper forum's members included campervan companies, LGNZ and central government.
"It has been running for three and a half years approximately and the campervan companies are an integral part of that."
The forum had been the catalyst for the bill in its infant stages in 2010, he said. "Then local government and the Department of Internal Affairs have been working towards that outcome."
The forum had been focused on providing information and education to campers.
He said it was made clear when the forum ran 18 community meetings around the country last year that the communities believed that good information was probably the key.
"But also that there still needs to be a tool that councils could use to enforce with," he said.
He said the forum was seeing education of campers by hire companies make a huge difference and more of a focus was needed on travellers who are buying cheap vans for short periods and choosing to camp in those types of vehicles.
They were not privy to information on New Zealand camping etiquette that was provided by hire companies and that was the challenge, Mr Ensor said.
"There is a real danger of focusing on the negative aspects of a very small minority in this camping area and in fact they are a very important slice of the tourism industry and very important economically to a number of communities around New Zealand," he said.
- Taranaki Daily News
LGNZ president Lawrence Yule said freedom camping caused significant issues for many communities and threatened to tarnish New Zealand's clean green image.
"Poor behaviour from some campers is causing unsightly pollution, damaging the environment and undermining our international reputation.
"Many communities are sick of having to bear the wasteful cost of cleaning up the mess left behind by irresponsible freedom campers," he said.
While many did not have a freedom camper problem the bill would be a countrywide tool, giving all councils the option to identify areas where camping should be prohibited and enforcement options he said.
Members of all Taranaki district councils agree.
South Taranaki District Council engineering services group manager Neil McCann said the issue had been raised in his district from time to time but had not been a major issue. "But if it should ever become a significant issue, the bill would provide us with a mechanism to fine offenders," he said.
New Plymouth District Council regulatory services manager Simon Pickford said currently his council could only take problem campers to court under its Public Places Bylaw.
He said the $200 instant fine would make it much faster to deal with people camping illegally and the $10,000 fines would make most people think twice before leaving their effluent behind on beaches or reserves.
"However, we would use discretion and only issue a $200 infringement after a warning and asking the person to move on," he said.
While freedom camping was banned in the New Plymouth District Mr Pickford said the council was identifying areas where freedom camping could be allowed during Rugby World Cup 2011.
"We're going to have a big influx of visitors and a number of them will be freedom campers.
"We want to help them avoid any problems while they're here by identifying sites they can use which have toilet and shower facilities," he said.
Acting Stratford District Council chief executive Mike Avery said he welcomed the new provisions of the bill but would like to have seen a more complete approach to the problem. "I think that a more proactive stance should be taken.
"I am not convinced that much thought has been given to alternatives such as charging a levy on non-self-contained vehicles and using this to fund the establishment of appropriate facilities in high-pressure areas. "Or requiring a pre-purchase time limited ticket for using remote facilities," he said.
The use of fines in conjunction with this could be an improvement, Mr Avery believed.
Tourism Industry Association advocacy manager Geoff Ensor, who heads the New Zealand Freedom Camping Forum, also welcomed the new bill.
However, he questioned Environment Minister Nick Smith's comments about camper hire companies encouraging reckless and irresponsible behaviour when he announced the new bill on Sunday.
The freedom camper forum's members included campervan companies, LGNZ and central government.
"It has been running for three and a half years approximately and the campervan companies are an integral part of that."
The forum had been the catalyst for the bill in its infant stages in 2010, he said. "Then local government and the Department of Internal Affairs have been working towards that outcome."
The forum had been focused on providing information and education to campers.
He said it was made clear when the forum ran 18 community meetings around the country last year that the communities believed that good information was probably the key.
"But also that there still needs to be a tool that councils could use to enforce with," he said.
He said the forum was seeing education of campers by hire companies make a huge difference and more of a focus was needed on travellers who are buying cheap vans for short periods and choosing to camp in those types of vehicles.
They were not privy to information on New Zealand camping etiquette that was provided by hire companies and that was the challenge, Mr Ensor said.
"There is a real danger of focusing on the negative aspects of a very small minority in this camping area and in fact they are a very important slice of the tourism industry and very important economically to a number of communities around New Zealand," he said.
- Taranaki Daily News
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