A whitebaiter has been slapped with a freedom camping ticket beside the Waikouaiti River, before being forced to move his camper van several metres to an exposed highway layby.
The man, who would only be identified as Dave, said he parked his camper van in a reserve just south of the bridge on State Highway 1 between Waikouaiti and the Karitane turnoff, setting up for the start of whitebaiting season.
All was well at first, then in the early hours of September 6 a Dunedin City Council contractor placed a $200 ticket on his camper van for violating the Camping Control Bylaw, Dave said.
A New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) representative had told him he was allowed to camp on their land, so he moved his vehicle a few metres south to the gravel layby, where he has camped since then without issue.
But Dave said he felt unsafe camping on the exposed gravel layby, as cars and trucks roared by.
"These hoons the other night sprayed me in gravel."
He and another whitebaiter camping at the site keep the reserve clear of rubbish and look out for each other, and he believed the DCC needed to put in place signage outlining who owns the land, along with rules about camping.
"Put some signage up.
"If I had arrived there on day one, and there was a sign saying maximum two nights, self-contained vehicles only, I would have thought ‘Oh, this is going to be a pain in the arse,’ and I probably would have gone further up the river."
Council group manager parks and recreation Robert West confirmed the reserve area was owned by the DCC, and subject to camping bylaws.
"As per the DCC’s camping control bylaw, only certified self-contained vehicles may stay overnight in this area.
"Certified self-contained vehicles may stay for a maximum of two consecutive nights."
NZTA maintenance contract manager Nick Rodger said the gravel layby south of the reserve entrance was its land, and there was nothing to prevent freedom camping there.
"The provisions of the Freedom Camping Act 2011 still apply, but these merely place restrictions on depositing waste or creating damage ... rather than limiting or restricting overnight camping.
"The Transport Agency is aware people are camping in this roadside area, and our contractors are monitoring the situation and have spoken to the people camping there.
"But so long as they are parked sufficiently far from the road to not endanger passing drivers, aside from reminding them of their obligations under the Freedom Camping Act, there is not a lot more we can do."
DCC camping rules
• Campers in tents and non-selfcontained vehicles are encouraged to stay at licensed camping grounds.
• Campers in tents can freedom camp at Warrington Domain only within the designated area.
• Freedom campers in non-selfcontained vehicles can camp only at three freedom camping sites: the Thomas Burns St trial site (from November 1, 2018 to April 30, 2019), Warrington Domain and Ocean View Recreation Reserve.
• Maximum stay for freedom campers at any one location is two consecutive nights.
• Certified self-contained vehicles can park on gravelled or sealed DCC land set aside for parking except in: cemeteries, scenic reserves, prohibited zones on the Otago Peninsula, and outside designated areas at Ocean View Recreation Reserve and Warrington Domain.
Source: Council group manager parks and recreation Robert West
