Blocking access to freedom campers and campervans around New
Zealand's scenic hotspots is not a good message to send to
international visitors or locals, a Tourism Industry
Association advocate says.
However, TIA advocacy manager Geoff Ensor said there was "no
way" anyone could be critical of the recent actions taken by
the Hawea Community Association to blockade three lakeside
reserves at Lake Hawea.
"That kind of environmental degradation is not defendable at
all," he said, referring to the human waste and rubbish being
left behind by campers in the area.
The TIA is behind the Freedom Camping Forum, a group
initiative formed two years ago in response to growing
community unrest about freedom campers.
He said that critics of freedom campers needed to realise
that New Zealanders were also involved and the issue of
rubbish and human waste being left behind could not be blamed
entirely on tourists.
He hoped the Hawea Community Association's actions to block
off access to lakeside reserves was not followed elsewhere
around New Zealand.
"We understand it was a community reaction to a community
problem," he said.
More needed to be done to influence the behaviour of freedom
campers and the stakeholders involved with them, such as
campervan rental companies, Mr Ensor said.
He acknowledged the Freedom Camping Forum needed to ensure
its message and updates on what was being done to address
problems associated with freedom campers needed to be better
communicated to communities around New Zealand.
Hawea Community Association president Rachel Brown said the
Freedom Camping Forum was making the right noises but nothing
was happening at ground level.
"Obviously, the issue is a national one and we believe
something needs to be done at national level to manage this
aspect of tourism more sustainably," she said.
The association was taking action to protect "our lake" and
to encourage national action against non-self-contained
campervans. While she understood blocking access to the spots
would cause frustration for legitimate campers, she also had
a message for people wanting to use the blocked areas.
"They are so disgusting, you wouldn't want to camp there in
the first place," she said.
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