Over 90 parties from as far away as Auckland have outlined their views on the Queenstown Lakes District Council's draft freedom camping bylaw.
Council community services administrator Hannah White said about 92 submissions had been received before the submission period closed on Monday and in the days following, and a hearing would be held on April 27.
The hearing would probably be held in Wanaka, because most of the people wanting to speak were there, she said.
In a submission made on behalf of Department of Conservation director-general Al Morrison, community relations manager Kenneth Stewart said he supported in principle the concept of no freedom camping zones, but called for clarifications on the bylaw and the expansion of the proposed area for easier enforcement. He also wanted the changes made "easier for campers to understand".
He proposed the expansion include previously unaddressed sections of State Highway 6, Mt Aspiring Rd, Priory Rd and Glenorchy Queenstown Rd. The latter would make a continous no-camping zone between Queenstown to Glenorchy except at designated sites.
Likewise, Senior Sergeant Allan Grindell, of Wanaka, supported the bylaw and proposed "vicarious" liabilities be placed on rental vans, so that if infringements were not paid by the people using the vans, the fines would be referred to rental companies.
He suggested waste disposal sites for self-contained vans in popular areas, and wheel clamping offending vehicles.
However, the Wanaka Community Board expressed concern restrictions on self-contained vehicles as proposed in the draft bylaw would unfairly affect the "responsible self-contained campers".
The problem had been lack of policing; in fact, lack of an infringement regime, the board said.
Campers in vehicles without facilities had "only been able to be moved on", the board said.
The board recommended that camping in self-contained vehicles continue to be permitted outside town centre and residential zones as before, and suggested additional restricted areas anywhere a "no camping" sign was displayed and on the Wanaka lakefront from Stoney Creek to the marina.
The New Zealand Motor Caravan Association supported the creation of the bylaw to "help manage the present situation created by irresponsible freedom campers", but was against the restrictions it would place on self-contained vehicles.
"If this bylaw passes in its current form, the association guarantees that its members will view QLDC as anti-motor caravanning, and therefore avoid visiting and spending money in local businesses. However, if council can amend its proposed bylaw to be more accommodating to responsible tourists, then Queenstown's districts will be viewed more favourably."
Although in support of the bylaw, the Queenstown Chamber of Commerce proposed that the "draconian" tenor of the bylaw should be replaced by "user-friendly" marketing and information, such as that in place in Gisborne.
It also suggested council-owned basic facilities be built in designated areas for freedom campers, particularly with the increase in campervan numbers due to the Rugby World Cup later in the year, to make sure the "PR around freedom camping is appropriate to the various segments of campers".
Also making submissions in support - some with suggestions on how the bylaw might be approved - were the Holiday Accommodation Parks Association of NZ Inc, Contact Energy, which owns four sites that are "somewhat affected" by freedom camping, the Kelvin Peninsula Community Association, the Albert Town Community Association, the Kingston Community Association, and the Guardians of Lake Hawea.
