A proposal to form three new freedom camping sites in Dunedin was met with opposition before a report was even considered at a Dunedin City Council meeting yesterday.
It was decided discussion on the report, due yesterday, would be delayed pending information from a national freedom camping forum on Monday which councillors had not had time to consider.
The proposal to create new freedom camping sites at Rotary Park in Highcliff, a reserve at Puddle Alley on the Taieri, and outside the Brighton Surf Lifesaving Club, because of overcrowding at existing sites, drew impassioned comments from the public.
Warrington resident Rhys Owen said proposed changes to the freedom camping bylaw failed to address the problem of overflow of campers from designated areas.
''What the city actually needs is 20, 30, 40 very small areas with five or 10 vehicles per site.''
A review of the bylaw would include ''strict enforcement'' of rules at Warrington, the report said.
There had been a 37% increase in vehicles using the Warrington site during February and March this year, compared with last year and current enforcement of the area was not working, Mr Owen said.
''Last summer, there were two German chaps who were living in Warrington Reserve for four months ... one sleeping in a hatchback and one sleeping in a little pup tent.''
If the city did not support more and smaller sites being opened, a rule of ''no toilet, no freedom camping'' was needed, he said.
Mosgiel-Taieri Community Board chairwoman Sarah Nitis said the board opposed the council funding non-self-contained freedom camping.
The installation of toilets at the proposed Puddle Alley site would be a welcome asset for Mosgiel ratepayers.
But Mrs Nitis challenged whether $70,000-$100,000 of proposed infrastructure at each site would be funded if locals had asked for it.
The board believed the behaviour of non-self-contained freedom campers was the problem, she said.
Board member Maurice Prendergast said freedom campers should be classified with ''all other noxious pests'' because they desecrated wilderness areas while contributing nothing in return, he said.
The claim was called offensive by some councillors.
Speaking to the Otago Daily Times, Brighton Caravan Park owner Antony Burtenshaw said it was ''on the nose'' to propose a site outside the Brighton Surf Lifesaving Club near an established camping ground.
Cr Jim O'Malley supported the idea of a freedom camping advisory group, including councillors, community boards, campground owners and concerned members of the public to find a solution to the problem of where to locate the increasing number of freedom campers.
Council strategy and governance general manager Sandy Graham said the report, which recommends a special public consultative process, would probably be considered at a planning and environment meeting on June 13.
-Additionally reported by David Loughrey
