Holiday park owners are misrepresenting freedom campers as dirty campers that litter the country with piles of poo and rubbish, the New Zealand Motor Caravan Association says. <\/p>\n
It's chief executive Bruce Lochore said the claims had been perpetuated to discredit freedom campers ahead of a Marlborough District Council summer trial opening up more freedom camping spots. <\/p>\n
Suggestions excrement had been dumped and rubbish was strewn on freedom spots was a misapprehension promoted by holiday parks for the last 10 years, Lochore said. <\/p>\n
\"In Marlborough the council's assessments showed freedom camping hasn't resulted in our beautiful country being covered in a blanket of poo and rubbish,\" Lochore said. <\/p>\n
\"The real situation was nowhere near as bad as they had been led to believe; and for council this has been quite liberating because they have been able to switch their focus from looking at freedom camping as a 'problem' to looking at the opportunity.\" <\/p>\n
This year until the end of September there had been 33 infringements issued by Marlborough District Council for freedom camping. None had been handed out since August. <\/p>\n
Picton Top 10 Holiday Park owner Roger Kett previously said excrement had been dumped at the controversial Koromiko freedom spot. <\/p>\n
Awatere Community Trust chairman Robert Kirkham said freedom campers had left piles of poo and toilet paper under trees at the Awatere Bowling Club. He blamed budget travellers. <\/p>\n
\"The worst perpetrators are those travelling on the cheap,\" Kirkham said. \"Even though some are in self-contained vans it doesn't mean they use their own facilities. Public toilets in Seddon are there for people to relieve themselves not for people to use as a shower.\" <\/p>\n
Lochore said appropriate freedom camping by-laws would protect the community from any errant freedom campers. <\/p>\n
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Maligned freedom campers defended<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Holiday park owners are misrepresenting freedom campers as dirty campers that litter the country with piles of poo and rubbish, the New Zealand Motor Caravan Association says. It's chief executive Bruce Lochore said the claims had been perpetuated to discredit freedom campers ahead of a Marlborough District Council summer trial opening up more freedom camping spots Continue reading