All options big and small will be considered as the Department of Conservation and Dunedin City Council formally begin their search for ''camping opportunities'' on Otago Peninsula.
Both organisations outlined their plans to the Otago Conservation Board this week to formally begin an investigation into the provision of camp sites on the peninsula.
Doc partnerships manager Mike Morrison said one of the department's aims was to promote recreational opportunities for New Zealanders.
''The key driver for me is ... to provide camping opportunities for residents and that is where the Dunedin City Council has a similar aim.''
Council reserves and recreation planning team leader Richard Saunders said they were keen to explore any opportunities and were ''completely open'' on the scale of the facilities to be offered.
Mr Morrison said the purpose of the feasibility study was to ''ascertain demand and then match it to the appropriate facilities''.
Mr Saunders said they wanted to make sure they were not ''leaning'' on the activities of private camp grounds at Portobello and St Kilda.
The council is already trialling freedom camping at several reserves, including Macandrew Bay, Warrington Reserve and Ocean View Reserve car park.
Mr Saunders said monitoring of those trial sites would form part of the feasibility study and it was hoped they could address the concerns raised so far, relating to those trials.
Mr Morrison said they planned to have the feasibility study completed by March 31 next year.
In a written report to the board, a section of the draft Conservation Management Strategy was highlighted. The strategy states that Taiaroa Head and Sandymount/Sandfly Bay were places where recreation played a part in public engagement on conservation.
The strategy then goes on to say that developments should only happen elsewhere if ''natural character has already been highly modified or structures were already present''.
Doc provides a range of camping facilities throughout the country with different categories: back country, basic, standard and serviced campsites.
The report said new Doc facilities were favoured in areas close to major urban centres where easily accessed opportunities were not already well catered for.
The report also said the department liked to work with a third party when it developed new facilities. Mr Morrison said private input into the running of any site would also be considered.
''From my perspective that is an aspect I would be wanting to see in a feasibility study and there are possibly some opportunities that exist around this for groups.''
Board chairman Pat Garden described the partnership between Doc and the council as ''exciting''. He said the peninsula was a great asset and it would be good to see what more could be done there.
