Freedom Camping up for discussion at Upper Waitaki meeting

The Upper Waitaki Water Zone Committee will have the opportunity to share their views on what needs to be done to alleviate the impact of freedom camping in the region at its meeting on May 26.

Both Mackenzie and Waitaki district councils have been reviewing their policies around Freedom Camping.

The Mackenzie District Council has sought feedback from the community on the issue, and led workshops with the Fairlie, Tekapo and Twizel community boards.

Meanwhile, the Waitaki District Council have hosted a series of focus groups on freedom camping.

Both councils are now seeking feedback from the zone committee which will be presented to the councils for consideration.

The potential impact of visitors on the recreational experience in the Upper Waitaki zone has been a focus for the zone committee.

As part of their role in seeking water management solutions for the zone, the committee had previously identified that managing the impact visitors had in the region was an important part of maintaining the recreational value of streams and rivers in the zone.

As a result, the zone committee championed a “Love your Lakes” education campaign which ran through the 2015/16 summer period. The campaign involved distributing stickers and posters around key tourism spots to encourage people to use the public toilets provided and take their rubbish with them.

Building on that campaign, the zone committee considered the possibility of erecting road signage to further the awareness campaign.

The three entrances to Upper Waitaki were identified as strategic sites for the signage, capturing all traffic going through the region.

The zone committee will consider whether to further pursue road signage as an awareness campaign at its meetingtomorrow.

Click here for full agenda.

ENDS

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