Omarama Residents’ and Ratepayers’ Association chairwoman Ann Patterson said she was "humbled" by the number of people that turned out to express their concern over the current state — and management — of the once popular local recreation area that was now over triple capacity during the summer, and to hear from representatives of a joint-agency land-management group to oversee camping in the Waitaki and Mackenzie Basins.
She asked for direct community representation on the newly formed Mackenzie and Waitaki Basins Responsible Camping Strategy Working Group.
"Another working group, another plan ... and still the site goes from bad to worse," she said.
On Friday, the Waitaki District Council issued a statement that Mackenzie and Waitaki district councils would, along with Doc, Land Information New Zealand and NZ Transport Agency, address short-term camping solutions and infrastructure requirements at sites including Ahuriri Bridge and would in future develop a 20 to 30-year strategy for managing long-term visitor pressures while allowing communities to benefit from tourism.
But when Doc’s Mike Davies, of Christchurch, told the crowd the bid to the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) contestable Tourism Infrastructure Fund for at least four sites, was for $500,000 several in the crowd scoffed.
Omarama’s Peter Casserly called for a "fenced off" user-pays Doc camping area, with male and female toilets, a washing area, and Doc staff on site from 6am in the summer months. He also called for an area "set aside" for public recreation.
"A whole lot of people want action," he said.
"No more freedom camping at the conservation camp area, full stop. That is not just my opinion, that is a lot of people’s opinion."
Mr Davies said he was hearing "lots of long-term options".
"There’s two parts to this. There’s what we do this summer and there’s what we do long term. Long-term for Doc, there are all sorts of options around how we manage Ahuriri, including many of the things [Mr Casserly] has mentioned today.
"We can decide that it’s not worth having camping any longer at that location. That’s one option. Other options include charging for the things that are there. We need the funding to get organised to put those things in place ... What we’re considering doing this summer is based around that funding."
Waitaki MP Jacqui Dean opened the meeting by telling the crowd many in the room were experiencing the "flip side of the coin of tourism" and if communities were no longer welcoming of visitors "then we’ve lost the battle".
