Yesterday, the council considered 19 submissions on its draft Environmental Nuisance and Freedom Camping Control Bylaw, including hearing verbal submissions from four submitters.
The submissions overwhelmingly supported the bylaw, although some suggested further work and changes.
After that, the council decided to "pause and work with the Department of Internal Affairs" to ensure the bylaw reflected the Freedom Camping Bill, which the Government wants to pass through Parliament by the end of August.
But Cr Jim Hopkins was concerned about the delay, suggesting the council should be considering where camping could be permitted or banned, signs, information and enforcement.
Cr Craig Dawson said there was a strong message in submissions the council needed to take as much time as possible to consider its bylaw and ensure it worked in with the new legislation.
Waitaki Tourism Association president Sue Berry said freedom campers were welcome, provided they observed bylaws protecting the "clean, green image", and pay if they did not.
The association had 70 members and many were concerned about what they were seeing - recently, one member saw the appalling mess left by six campervans without self-contained facilities parked in Beach Rd.
The bylaw should differentiate between freedom campers with on-board facilities and those without facilities, encouraging both types to camp in appropriate areas by providing written information and appropriate signs.
The Department of Conservation supported the bylaw in principle, but had difficulties with some aspects. It wanted land managed by the department to be excluded.
It also wanted camping banned from the road end and car park at Bushy Beach, road and car parks adjoining conservation areas at Shag Point, the car parks and road verges along the south end and middle of Katiki Beach, the road end and car park at Katiki Point, Moeraki Boulders car park and the car park at Tavora Beach, south of Bobbys Head.
The department urged the council to adopt the bylaw, without waiting for the Government's legislation.
Public Health South supported the bylaw in part but suggested some changes, including identifying where self-contained campers should camp and for how many nights, clarifying what was permitted, providing a list of approved camping locations and making sure residents and communities were consulted.
It also suggested areas set aside for camping have, at a minimum, toilets and rubbish collection.
Wayne and Gloria Bason, who own the Old Bones Backpackers Lodge on Beach Rd, were extremely embarrassed about the use of a reserve across the road by freedom campers.
The area had "been widely abused", including one campervan with no facilities and two occupants having parked there for more than three weeks.
Freedom campers used the reserve as a toilet in full public view.
"The problem is not isolated to Kakanui reserves. We have observed many vehicles along Beach and Awamoa Rds basically wherever they can camp without paying any fees," they said.
Stewart Jenkins, of Kakanui, agreed something needed to be done, but people who were responsible should not be penalised because of the selfishness of others, he said.
