Little information about the Waitaki District Council’s controversial new freedom camping bylaw is available to the public offline, seven days after the bylaw took effect.
The Otago Daily Times approached the Oamaru i-Site, a key information source for tourists visiting the area, on Thursday morning and asked what information was available to those who wanted to camp. The information centre did not have any fliers on freedom camping but could offer information on internet camping apps and places people could camp.
However, council regulatory services manager Lichelle Guyan said by email several "dos and don’ts" educational fliers were dropped off at the i-Site, but the council would provide more and answer any questions the staff had. "Many" copies of the flier were handed out to freedom campers over Labour Weekend and they would continue to be used in a targeted way, Mrs Guyan said.
The council also informed internet apps CamperMate, Rankers and the New Zealand Motor Caravan Association of the new bylaw restrictions. The council also had put $56,000 aside for policing the bylaw and education about the new rules. The council was not at present in a position to confirm the costs of publicising the new bylaw, but they would include signage and the fliers.
The council had contracted security company First Security to enforce the bylaw, but Mrs Guyan would not say how much the contract was worth, or its duration.
"The contract is on a variable basis, to provide council with the greatest level of flexibility to manage the bylaw in the most cost-effective manner," she said.
The council has not produced any information for speakers of Mandarin, Spanish, French or German. The council was producing the flier only in English but would review that decision if it became apparent producing them in other languages would be beneficial, Mrs Guyan said.
She did not say why the council chose not to produce the fliers or any other information in Mandarin, Spanish, French or German.
