Punakaiki community pleads for freedom camping ban

Thursday, 29 December 2016

The Punakaiki community want freedom camping banned.

Punakaiki residents sick of excrement on tracks have unsuccessfully lobbied two councils to ban freedom campers.

Jed Findlay, whose family runs the Punakaiki Beach Camp, presented a petition to the Buller District Council and the Grey District Council seeking a ban on freedom camping at the West Coast tourism hotspot.

He asked for a freedom camping ban whether campers were self-contained or not in the township and areas north and south in Grey and Buller districts.

Both councils voted against banning freedom campers but promised to work together with the Department of Conservation and the community to come up with a solution to the residents' concerns.

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West Coast tourism has grown rapidly, putting pressure on a creaking infrastructure funded by a small group of ratepayers.

Numbers are expected to soar well beyond 1 million a year, prompting calls for more government spending on infrastructure.

Findlay said the petition was signed by 95 per cent of residents of Punakaiki who are fed up with the mess that some freedom campers leave behind.

He said 80 of 97 ratepayers and 43 of 47 permanent residents signed the petition. Out of all 110 ratepayers and permanent residents, only five did not wish to sign.

'Looking into the future we have to ensure our township stays beautiful for all generations to come…we need to protect the Punakaiki area being right next to a national park, measures need to be taken to keep it clean from rubbish and human excrement left behind by freedom campers and to protect the health and safety of those who live in the community and who come to visit,' he said.

The well-used walking tracks were continually being abused by freedom campers.

'The problem is the excrement, the rubbish and access to the area. I went down to the beach last night and there were 12 campervans all bumper to bumper. I wanted to walk the dogs but there was nowhere for me to park at all. It's the mess they are making. We live here because we love to use those places. Freedom campers are ruining access for us to sites we want to live here for. It's just too much. They are pissing and shitting everywhere,' he said.

The community was made up of only about four accommodation providers so the petition was not motivated by commercial interests.

'It's what all the community wants but the council just really don't care. The council is running scared of the New Zealand Motor Caravan Association. They are afraid to take any action in case they get taken to court. But we are not targeting the association members. They would never crap everywhere,' he said.

The association has previously challenged freedom camping bans in other areas of New Zealand including the Coromandel.

Findlay said he planned to continue his campaign.

'A sign saying no freedom campers warning of a $200 fine would be a great start instead of a sign saying go for your life,' Findlay said.

Pancake Rocks Cafe owner Patrick Volk said he was disappointed that the councils rejected the petition.

'People are sleeping in gardens and making a mess. It's crazy. Punakaiki is the jewel in the crown of West Coast tourism but no-one is taking care,' he said.

Grey district mayor Tony Kokshoorn said he was going to work with the Buller District Council to come up with a compromise.

'There's a genuine concern about the Punakaiki area being overrun with campervans. There is a major issue with non self-contained vans. We already have a policy in place that unless you are self-contained you are required to go to a campground. But anyone self-contained can park anywhere except within 1km of a campground,' he said.

The Grey District had been awarded a certificate by the New Zealand Motor Caravan Association for being the first campervan friendly district in the South Island.

'We don't want to turn our backs on the people of Punakaiki but we also don't want to end up in court because that costs the ratepayers. We need to take a step-by-step approach and work together to come up with solution that suits everyone,' he said.

Buller District Council chief executive Andy Gowland-Douglas said, in a report to councillors, that a total ban would be 'legally challengeable'.

'This issue potentially impacts on our regional tourism strategy, as we wish to attract tourists to the region, but equally we need to ensure that they act responsibly so our reputation as a clean green place is not impacted on, or the enjoyment of other tourists is not spoilt by an irresponsible few,' she said.

The council could decide to ban non self-contained campervans only.