The Hawea Community Association yesterday blocked roadside access to three lakeside reserves along State Highway 6 beside Lake Hawea in a bid to stop camper vans from being parked in the reserves.
The association has stumped up $2675 of its own money to install lines of massive boulders across accessways from SH6 leading to lakeside areas at Deep Bay, Craig Burn, and near the Lake Hawea lookout.
The move has been backed by Mr Geddes and Otago Conservation Board chairman Hoani Langsbury, who both say the action taken at Lake Hawea typifies the frustration and concerns of small communities around New Zealand.
"They're not breaking the law and I do support their action," Mr Geddes said.
The mayor also acknowledged that a slow response from the council to implement a "rigorous policy and enforcement scheme" to address the mess created by freedom campers across the district had played its part in increasing the frustration felt by Lake Hawea residents.
He hailed the move taken by the community association as "classic local government".
"They've come up with a local solution to a local problem," he said.
Mr Langsbury, who chaired an Otago Conservation Board meeting in February, when calls for a national ban on camper vans were first voiced, said the direct action taken at Lake Hawea was indicative of the "depth of feeling" small communities around the country had towards the issue.
"This issue is not going to go away," he said, of the pollution and human waste frequently left behind by tourists using camper vans without toilet facilities.
Waitaki MP Jacqui Dean said she was "sad" a community had created a blockade, but she could understand why.
She is scheduled to meet the association and view the blocked reserves later this week.
Hawea Community Association president Rachel Brown said the new blockade "might" stop the solution at Lake Hawea but it did not address the cause of the problem.
"This is not a celebration.
"We would rather have not had to do this," she said.
However, an "absolutely disgusting" situation created by travellers had meant direct action needed to be taken.
"We can't keep talking about it any longer," Ms Brown said.
