Camping sites could be provided on Otago Peninsula public conservation land by the Dunedin City Council and Department of Conservation.
The two organisations have got together to look at the possibility of providing camping opportunities on Otago Peninsula, Doc partnerships manager Mike Morrison told the Otago Conservation Board at a meeting in Dunedin yesterday.
He and city council reserves and recreation planning team leader Richard Saunders were quick to point out to the board the idea was only in the initial stages and the aim was to have a feasibility report done by March.
Before that, both organisations would also talk to the Otago Peninsula Community Board and Otakou runanga.
Mr Saunders said the council was looking at the idea as a way to assist with issues around freedom camping problems on the peninsula.
''This is for us an opportunity to address some of the concerns raised.''
The results of its trial of freedom camping sites for self-contained vehicles and the data collected would be used as part of feasibility study, he said.
Mr Morrison said both organisations had similar aims as far as encouraging more people to participate in recreation and the outdoors.
There were significant parcels of public conservation land on the peninsula governed by either the Conservation Act or the Reserves Act.
How many campsites would be developed, where, to what standard and who they would be operated by were all issues to be looked at, he said.
They would need to ascertain the demand for such facilities and then provide enough to meet that demand.
''We are completely open to ideas,'' Mr Saunders said.
There were a few commercial campsites on the peninsula. The DCC and Doc agreed they did not want to impede their business.
Board chairman Pat Garden said the most exciting thing about the proposal was the city council and Doc were working together on it.
