The Bendigo recreation site, between Cromwell and Tarras on Lake Dunstan, has filled with more than 50 seasonal workers in tents and caravans.
A Central Otago labour market survey last year said 600 more beds would be needed by 2018-19 to accommodate horticulture industry expansion.
Cherry-picker Consuelo Morcillo, of Argentina, said she had been at the site for two weeks and was working in Cromwell.
There were more than 50 people staying at the site, almost all of whom were working on orchards, she said.
‘‘A lot of them have stayed longer than they are allowed but we heard no-one really minds because the workers need somewhere to stay.''
She heard about the site on a mobile app and moved there because the two Cromwell campgrounds were full and others were too far away from work.
‘‘We like to help clean up because some others on the camp site aren't so clean. We are visitors here so we feel like we should respect it.
‘‘We are going to try and move into one of the Cromwell campgrounds when there is space because it would be nice to have a fridge and a shower.''
In October, the Central Otago District Council restricted a camping site at Lowburn to self-contained vehicles after it received complaints about campers leaving rubbish behind.
Council parks and recreation manager Mathew Begg said the problem seemed to have settled.
Freedom camping was allowed at the Bendigo site for three days before campers were expected to move on, he said.
‘‘We've had a couple of people packing up and moving back there but it's hard to monitor. We haven't had any complaints as such, but we've had a few queries from people wondering if they are allowed to be there.''
Mayor Tony Lepper said the council was ‘‘relaxed'' about the number of campers using the site.
‘‘It's really Linz's [Land Information New Zealand] issue and we aren't too bothered, as long as there aren't any complaints, and I haven't heard of any.
''Our problem with Lowburn was there were over 300 people and the facilities couldn't handle it, but I haven't heard anything like that about Bendigo.''
Linz Crown property group manager John Hook said it was able to issue trespass notices to campers around Lake Dunstan who broke the rules.
‘‘We've had to ask a few people to move on for various reasons; for example, they were staying in a no-camping area or because they'd stayed longer than they were allowed.''
