As complaints over freedom campers heat up, the Tourism Minister has called in mayors from across the country to meet with him to discuss the issues.
Kelvin Davis has asked 22 mayors to meet with him in Wellington in March to discuss solutions to issues around freedom camping.
“I’ve been hearing dissatisfaction with the current situation – with complaints relating to noise, litter, human waste, overcrowding and blocked access to public space,” Mr Davis says.
The Tasman District Council has a draft bylaw which if passed would prohibit freedom camping in certain places.
He’s been talking to some mayors but he wants to find out what is and isn’t working ahead of next summer’s tourist season.
In the past 10 years, the number of international visitors doing at least some freedom camping during their stay has risen from around 30,000 to 115,000 annually.
“The issues are complex and there’s no easy fix, so central and local government need to take a collaborative approach.”
The admission from the Minister comes after Queenstown District Council said it would review its freedom camping strategy after the number of complaints about campers continue to grow.
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