The "big holes'' in the 2011 Freedom Camping Act will be a talking point at an invitation-only forum in Wanaka today.
The forum, called by Wanaka Community Board chairwoman Rachel Brown, is designed to get some consensus over how to handle the expected influx of freedom campers to the Upper Clutha this summer.
"The tsunami is coming,'' Ms Brown said yesterday in reference to forecast increases in tourist numbers.
"That's what [the forum] is about - hey, this is actually a bit out of control.
"How are we going to actually manage it better on a local level?
"Are there things we can do to make it work better?''
Ms Brown said the big problem with the Act was it applied only to land controlled by local authorities such as the Queenstown Lakes District Council and the Department of Conservation.
It did not cover land administered by Land Information New Zealand, which Ms Brown said had a comparatively high level of land ownership in the Upper Clutha.
While the "hole'' in the legislation had been pointed out to the Government, "they just ignored it'', Ms Brown said.
"Some of those massive holes are what have been causing us problems.''
Groups attending the forum will include Doc, Linz, Lake Wanaka Tourism, the New Zealand Transport Agency, Queenstown Lakes District Council, Guardians of Lake Hawea and the Lake Hawea wardens who have considerable experience policing freedom camping rules.
Ms Brown hoped those attending the forum would be able to identify the "major threats'' to the environment from freedom camping and the opportunities to make improvements.
