Gates block riverbank at controversial freedom camping spot in Takaka

Wednesday, 5 April 2017

Vehicle access to the riverbank at the controversial freedom camping spot on the outskirts of Takaka has been blocked by gates.

A large portion of the carpark will soon be blocked off as work continues at Reilly St, located behind the Takaka Memorial Library.

Tasman District Council communications officer Chris Choat said the two gates were erected last week, and a bund was also due to be installed, which would render most of the carpark inaccessible for vehicles. 

The area has been occupied by up to 400 illegal campers a night this summer sleeping along the riverbank, in the carpark,and along the side of the road.

Many people, including a significant number of New Zealanders, have been living and staying permanently in the bush and in the carpark in self-made structures, vehicles and tents. 

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Choat said illegal campers would still be able to access part of carpark, as well as along the side of the Reilly St dirt road.

'The areas that were identified by the community for their amenity value have been gated off, which is effectively access to the riverbank and to the left of it, where a fair amount of land lies that people were camping on,' he said. 

The gates and bund come at an estimated cost of $6000, which comes from the Takaka engineering improvements fund.

The move comes after Takaka dairy farmer David Rose was told by the council last year that he might own the land where hundreds of campers were staying. He was also told that if he didn't take action to remove them, he may face prosecution.

Residents and business owners frustrated with council inaction and the mess at Reilly St installed compost toilets, portaloos, signage and recycling bins.

The portaloos have since been removed by The Wholemeal Cafe owner, Wayne Green, who was one of several businesses funding them.

Rose met with TDC staff and councillors in January, where it was decided that gates to block access to the area would be recommended to the council.

Rose said he was still talking with the council and his lawyer about whether or not he owned the land.

'There's nothing finalised yet about the land,' he said. 

'There's still a difference of opinion on that — no common ground there — but the council might potentially ease things along under their own effort.'

He said the council seemed to want to work with the Roses to ensure they don't face any negative consequences. 

'We don't want to find we are lumbered with unexpected costs by whatever action is taken; it's more than just the issue around freedom campers.'

The gate was a 'positive step' toward limiting the number of people who can stay overnight at Reilly St.

'Of course there will still be room for considerable numbers [of campers] parking up and down the road, so it will probably still be with us, but not to the extent that it has been.

'It's certainly good to prevent people from driving onto the gravel [of the riverbank] which can be dangerous with potential heavy rain events,' he said.

'If you have a big rainfall on the hills there, the river can run off its course and create a new channel. Where does the liability start and stop in that situation? If we take ownership of that bank, then where does that leave us?

When the Nelson Mail visited on Tuesday morning, there were about 30 vehicles parked in the carpark and along the side of the road.

Reilly St freedom camper Jacob Brophy, from Taranaki, said he didn't think access to Reilly St and the riverbank should be blocked.

He said a group of them, including two Europeans, his brother, and a friend from the West Coast, had been living at Reilly St for one month.

'This feels like freedom here. I don't want them to take the freedom away, and lots of people are spending heaps of money in the town. It's really good for the economy here,' he said.

'We want to come here and see it flourish, not see rubbish here. Now it is like that [with rubbish], but we want to come here and keep it clean and leave it like that. We always take our rubbish away.

'It's so fun here [at Reilly St]. I don't know what it is about this place. I've never felt so happy in my life. This is New Zealand; we can come live here if we want to.'