West Coast freedom camper site 'crippling' local business

Tuesday, 29 January 2019

The freedom camping site at Waitaha Beach is damaging a local business, the owner says.

A West Coast campground owner says his business is being crippled by a new council freedom camping site – but the local mayor says his campground isn't even registered.

Roydon Dick, who owns Pukekura Lodge, between Hokitika and Franz Josef Glacier said he was angry the Westland District Council had set up a freedom camping site at Waitaha beach five minutes away from his camp ground.

Minister for Conservation and Land Information Eugenie Sage speaks at a freedom camping symposium in Nelson in April 2018.

He said he had been full most nights up until about three weeks ago when the freedom camping site opened.

On Monday, 35 vehicles were parked at the council site enjoying free rubbish and toilet facilities funded by the tax payer, he said.

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His campground, where he charges $10 per person per night, had only four.

'How do you compete with free,' he said.

'As soon as the council site went up on the Campermate App our business is crippled.'

Dick said he wanted a freedom camping ban.

The council did not collect rubbish from the residents of Pukekura but its trucks went by twice a week to pick up from the freedom camping site. He said the council had a policy of not allowing more than 15 vehicles at the site but was not enforcing it.

He had been running the cabin and campsite accommodation for four years but it had been established over 20 years ago by his father-in-law, he said.

Westland Mayor Bruce Smith said the sites were funded by the Government's Tourism Infrastructure Fund. Council had received $780,000 and had set up two sites in Waitaha and Acre Creek. Three more sites were planned for Bruce Bay, Hannah's Clearing and Paringa.

He said the campground at Pukekura was 7.5 kilometres from the site but was not a registered motorcamp. He invited the owner to contact him directly.

The plans were well consulted with the public, Smith said.

'There was a public meeting in Ross to discuss the options. He was not there. He made no submission to Council with its freedom camping bylaw change. He never attended the hearing on the submissions received.'

He said the sites would not be put within 5km of a registered campground.

'We don't encourage these campers but they are here, about 120,000 last season and the current Government funded programme for one year at least puts them all in the one place,' he said.

'This time last year I was getting constant complaints about freedom campers parking up and dumping rubbish in bushes leaving a mess on the sides of roads. I've had nothing in the last six weeks.'

He said there were two enforcement officers patrolling the sites and would clamp down on any more than 15 vehicles per site.

Sue Stile owns the Ross Beach Top 10 Holiday Park. She said business was down since the sites opened.

'We are nowhere near capacity. We had a really good December and then the freedom camping site opened and then it wasn't so good. I'm not sure if that's a coincidence,' she said.

'We can't compete with free. Why would you want to come to New Zealand to holiday in a car park nose to cheek with others with no showers. That's not what New Zealand is all about.'

The new site at Acre Creek is about a 15 minute drive to both Greymouth and Hokitika.