Bylaws that reflect a growing resistance to the rising tide of freedom campers could provide an opportunity for a private/public partnership in Dunedin.
On the same day in late August a Dunedin City Council bylaw subcommittee voted for an option that could result in freedom camping in vehicles without toilets being banned in Dunedin, Blenheim businessman Chris Wagner was in the city pitching his idea to deal with the problem to council staff and Cr Christine Garey.
Mr Wagner’s plan is to work with councils to develop freedom camping sites using internet-based technology allowing access to the camps, and a way to pay for using facilities once there.
Councils would build the facilities, or retrofit existing sites, which Mr Wagner said would pay for themselves.
Mr Wagner, who said it was a coincidence he was in the city at the time the vote was taken, would take a 20% cut for running the technology.
He said he owned a truck stop in Blenheim, predominantly catering for the transport industry, that had showers, laundry and toilet facilities, as well as a cafe.
"About five years ago, we started getting freedom campers.
"Then we got to the point we were getting 20 vans a night."
That meant truck drivers had to queue for showers and could not get their washing done.
His solution was KiwiCamp, an internet-based user-pays system.
Mr Wagner said campers at his Blenheim site required a $5 card - the card had $5 credit on it - to gain access through a boom gate.
Accommodation, rubbish disposal and toilets were free, but showers, dishwashing facilities, power, internet and laundry all had to be paid for.
Prices were low, with dishwashing 50c and a shower $2.
The cards included digital information containing campers’ ID and vehicle registration information so they could both be tracked, and contacted for the likes of civil defence emergencies.
The internet-based system allowed councils to choose who paid what, offering the possibility of charging overseas tourists more than locals.
Mr Wagner said his pitch to councils was any existing site with mobile phone coverage could be retrofitted with the infrastructure required to turn it into a KiwiCamp.
"It won’t make money, so it’s not for the private sector, but it will pay for the operational costs.
"It’s a long-term sustainable solution."
Cr Garey, who met Mr Wagner when he was in Dunedin, said she saw merit in the idea.
She was yet to decide whether to introduce it to the council so staff could investigate the idea, but said she was aware the community had shown a disinclination for the council to provide facilities for non-self-contained freedom camping vehicles.
