100 vehicles a night at domain

Freedom campers have been flocking to Warrington in record numbers with up to 100 vehicles parking at the village's domain each night during summer.

In November last year, after a close vote of eight to six, Dunedin City Council voted against a proposed bylaw banning vehicles without toilets from camping inside the city boundary.

The domain is one of only two approved freedom camping sites in the city - the other is at Ocean View - which allow non-self-contained vehicles.

Warrington resident Ken McHoull said there had been about a 10% increase in the number of campers at the domain on last year, but everything had continued to work well.

Every morning Mr McHoull counted the number of campers at the domain and said during the peak camping season, December to February, up to 100 vehicles were parked there each day.

Despite the increase, Mr McHoull said the site had worked well and was in fact an example of how the rest of New Zealand could treat freedom campers.

''It shows if you have a space with some facilities for them to use all of the rubbish issues and the toilet issues just disappear.''

But some residents are not pleased freedom campers are still able to park up for the night.

Rhys Owen said all the council did when it decided not to ban non-self-contained vehicles was push the problem out to places like Warrington.

There were also issues with non-self-contained vehicles parking outside the gravelled area set aside for them, but not being fined, Mr Owen said.

Most nights there were up to 20 non-self-contained vehicles where they were not allowed, he said.

''If they aren't issuing tickets or moving infringing freedom campers on to camp grounds, what are we paying them for?''

The council's security contractors did not seem to be doing what ratepayers paid them to, he said.

Mr Owen said he was not alone in his frustration and many residents, himself included, had stopped complaining to the council, because they felt they were being ignored.

Waikouaiti Coast Community Board chairman Alasdair Morrison said the summer had been a success and there had been almost no issues, except for a few heavy rainfall events which closed the site.

Unlike Mr Owen, Mr Morrison said he thought the segregated areas the council had installed had worked well.

''Despite the slight increase in numbers it's been very fine season and I think Ken has done a fabulous job at maintain the ground and making sure everything runs smoothly.''

To ease some of the pressure on the domain, Mr Morrison said he would continue to push the council to open other freedom camping areas in the city.

tim.miller@odt.co.nz