There are some incredible free camping spots in Australia.
Big changes are afoot for New Zealand’s well-established ‘freedom camping’ tradition … and it may well offer clues into what lies ahead this side of the ‘ditch’.
Kiwi Tourism Minister, Stuart Nash, has just released a series of proposals that signal much greater regulation of the carefree on-the-road lifestyle.
“I would like non-self-contained campervans or vehicles to be banned, but we are putting this out to consultation and I’m open to be swayed,” Mr Nash said. “There are too many stories up and down our country of tourists who are parking up in these vehicles in areas that don’t have facilities and, of course, the only place they can go to the toilet is by the roadside, in the rivers or in the bush, and that’s totally unacceptable.”
The new plan outlines options to either make it mandatory for freedom camping in a vehicle to be done in a certified self-contained vehicle, or perhaps for allowing for non-certified vehicles if they are staying at a site with toilets.
And it is being suggested that the standard for self-contained vehicles be strengthened with a centralised vehicle register being introduced to log certifying self-contained vehicles. The idea is that plumbers and gas fitters would be employed to ensure that toilets and other systems are properly installed and working.
And toilets in self-contained vehicles would be required to be permanently plumbed in, rather than merely portable. Fines for rule breakers would be hiked from NZ$200 to NZ$1,000, and measures would be put in place to make vehicle rental companies liable for any fines incurred by customers. This would be designed to stop overseas travellers from just flying home after their trip and forgetting about any fines.
“Responsible campers in motorhomes, caravans or budget vehicles in campgrounds are welcome,” said Mr Nash as he released the report. “But it must be ‘right vehicle, right place’.”
Tourism Industry Aotearoa chief executive, Chris Roberts, said he was generally pleased with the proposals. “They may well be the right measures, but they all need to be tested very carefully because what we don’t want is unintended consequences from a well-meaning measure,” he said. “It’s just a matter of making sure we get it right.”
But some van park owners want things to go even further.
Mangawhai Heads Holiday Park manager Richard Gunson has a problem with ‘shower stealers’ and he suggests that, in most cases, freedom camping be banned from all 50km/h zones.
“Someone in a properly self-contained vehicle can park right beside my boundary and access my facilities free of charge, and they currently do that now,” he said. “We would like to get some protection from the thievery that goes on.”
The proposals are out for publication until May 16.
It is illegal to defecate, urinate, or dump rubbish, in public now, Who is policing it?
This is a good idea but it will still be up to the local councils to police it .
The best idea is for the rental company’s to be responsible for any fines incurred. as far as the caravan park who has people in self contained vehicles park next to his park and use his facilities is key code the showers etc.
It’s the backpackers doing it as they travel around in station wagons and express vans etc .If you stop at a rest stop and look in the bushes There is usually toilet paper everywhere.
Quite silly proposals
Nothing stopping anybody walking biking trucking or travelling in a car from doing dirty business roadside..it can’t be stopped or policed either
And van parks worried about shower stealers well invest in a good fence. Or use a door fob system
Some van parks ought to be called “motel stealers”
Those with cabins shouldnt be whining about about banning freedom camps in 50km zones
Gees if NZ regulate it too much people won’t visit. It.ll be like a bureaucratic prison
You would have to ban tent campers, so bicycle campers like myself would be banned, hikers in National Parks banned. Every trailer camper banned, but also freedom camping banned unless their was a dump point nearby. So 3 nights only freedom camping so the toilet doesn’t overflow. The government should also demand, that a vehicle, have a tracker to keep an eye on people when they are camping , so they can fine everybody who used the camping area, if someone does the wrong thing. As a matter of fact, we should have built in trackers fitted at birth to keep an eye on us. I think that is a good idea..
You are missing the point that if it says self contained it means self contained they also said the normal camping areas that have toilets will not be affected
“And toilets in self-contained vehicles would be required to be plumbed in, rather than just portable” Why? I don’t understand this, both need emptying at a dump point. ???? If it’s a question of volume, that is dependent on how many people are using it and for how long. You could increase capacity of a portable by having more cartridges. Only bigger and heavier (room for a bathroom, and extra tanks) outfits could “qualify”, and they might have a bigger impact on the environment than a smaller and lighter one. I don’t understand the rationale for that proposed requirement. It’s people who act irresponsibly, not the equipment.