We have been rethinking our approach to camping in the city. We are expanding and improving our campgrounds on Council reserves while tightening up on the places where freedom camping is causing problems.
Council has spent $1.8 million upgrading the Maitai Valley campground with most invested in a new wastewater system that expands its capacity from 80 to 400 people. We have also built a new barbecue and picnic area.
We are also changing who manages our campgrounds. We have just leased the redeveloped Maitai Valley campground to Penny, a NZ-owned company that manages campgrounds throughout the country. Last year, we leased out the Brook Valley campground to the adjacent Brook Waimārama Sanctuary Trust. It enables the trust to develop complementary visitor tours such as nature walks and to see native species such as the recently reintroduced kiwi.
Leasing out these campgrounds is good for ratepayers. The Brook and Maitai Valley campgrounds made major losses when Council took over their management a decade ago. The Tāhuna Beach Holiday Park, the largest in the country with capacity for 3000, has successfully operated on Council-leased land for 99 years.
This week we are deliberating on a new Responsible Camping Bylaw. It makes no sense to allow people to freedom camp anywhere they like when Council is making its reserves available for campgrounds with proper facilities. Nor is it fair on the privately owned campgrounds such as the Top 10 and Cable Bay Holiday parks that are required to have full facilities.
The proposed new bylaw bans freedom camping in most places and removes the designated areas at Kinzett Terrace, Isel Park and the Maitai Cricket Ground. We receive more than 200 complaints each year about these sites over sanitation, rubbish and unruly behaviour. We propose allowing freedom camping to continue in the central city carparks where we get few complaints.
Enforcement and good signage will be important to the success of the new bylaw. New Government regulations for certified self-contained vehicles that take effect next year will also help.
Our gorgeous climate and stunning parks make Nelson a mecca for campers. They are very welcome, but this new approach is needed to better protect the environment.
