Push to close controversial freedom campsite could shut others

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Keeping a freedom camping site open in the Marlborough Sounds violates national rules requiring the pleasantness of reserves to be protected, a lawyer has told a hearing. But a councillor has warned that line of argument would mean most of Marlborough District Council’s freedom camping sites in the Sounds would have to go as they are also in reserves. A hearing panel met this week to discuss a draft freedom camping bylaw, which would shut four freedom camping sites in Marlborough. Discussions got heated on Wednesday when Double Bay residents, fed up with campers defecating in their gardens and stealing their water, pleaded for their site to be included in the closures.

Simon Gaines, legal representative for Double Bay residents said, councils had to provide reserve areas, such as Double Bay, for the enjoyment of the public under the Reserves Act. It also had to manage and protect reserves and conserve their pleasantness and natural environment. Keeping Double Bay’s freedom camping site open under the new bylaw would be inconsistent with these rules. There is no way around the conflict between the Freedom Camping and the Reserves Acts other than to resolve in favour of the Reserves Act. To reach that finding that it is OK to have Double Bay available for freedom camping would require the council to give little weight to expert opinion, to disregard the residents’ evidence and be deaf to the ratepayer voice.

Councillor and hearing panel chair David Oddie said, if it ruled in favour of the Reserves Act, most freedom camping sites in the Sounds would close.

An independent expert hired by the council to conduct a region wide review recommended its Double Bay and Ohingaroa Bay sites should close to better align with the Reserves Act. Campers at Double Bay recorded the most infringement notices over the past three years, second only to Ohingaroa Bay and Koromiko Recreation Reserve. The bylaw proposes closing freedom camping sites at the Koromiko Recreation Reserve, Brown River Reserve, Elterwater Reserve and Ohauparuparu Bay. It would also ban campers at Marfells Beach Rd and Grovetown Lagoon.

Council staff said, earlier this year they knew some Double Bay residents were not concerned by the site, so had not suggested closing it that could change during the hearing process if there was enough public support.

Kathryn Omond, representing 25 Double Bay residents said, they were at a loss on why the expert’s opinion was ignored. The negative impacts on us are significant and ongoing. The natural environment is regularly used as a dumping ground for raw sewage and the quality of life is nowhere near what it should be.

Double Bay resident Christine Hall choked up while describing how she felt unsafe” in her own home. Campers often knocked on her door asking for food or water to do laundry to use her wi-fi, or to camp on her lawn. Freedom campers have taken away my freedom.

She and her husband planned to sell their self-contained campervan as freedom camping had lost all appeal. My willingness to help freedom campers changed the day one vehicle got bogged down ... They took shovels from our garage to free themselves. We only heard of this when a neighbour came over to return the tools to our property.

Long-time Double Bay resident Vic Koller said, after nine years of supporting the site, he had seen common sense. I have given up. Freedom camping does not work.

.Maggie Curteis, who lives next to the Double Bay site said, while up to six vehicles were allowed to park at the site each night, this had been exceeded for the past few weeks. They still continue to defecate in the reserve, on the beach and in our gardens, although there is a toilet on site, Our properties have become an extension of the campground.

Double Bay residents were supported by Moetapu Community Association chair Kevin Wilson, representing 144 residents in the area, who want the site to close. Hearings on the draft bylaw closed on Wednesday. The bylaw is expected to be in place before summer.