What does self containment really mean?
As more and more clubs and groups speak out about the failings of the self containment Standard for Motor Caravans also known as NZS;5465 we put pen to paper to point out what the standard actually is supposed to achieve, but often fails to do so.
The concerns are not just about the Standard itself but also its use by Councils and others to exclude the majority of New Zealander’s freedom campers from participating in that past time. It is widely considered that the continual promotion of the Standard by some organizations is to clear the public from Freedom Camping sites to give their own membership more / exclusive use.
That one organization in NZ calls the Standard
“robust” while calling out for a regulatory body to
oversee it, raises serious doubts as to what they really
think or know. Certainly there has been considerable
publicity about the failings over the past 18 months which
have all gone un-addressed by them, while they acknowledge
privately a Regulatory Authority is needed to address many
issues of interpretation and conflict by the actual
promoters of the standard.
The Government has failed to
bow to their pressure to appoint a new regulatory Authority
after several years of being asked. The Ministry for the
Environment dropped the role in 2012. Some say it was due to
lack of funding while others believe the real reason was the
realization the Standard has actually achieved nothing or
very little to Freedom Camping in what is now over 25 years
of existence.
Responsible Campers Association Incorporated has written reports over these failings and the incorrect information often published on websites. Some of the websites are Government, Industry and clubs. That said information often goes uncorrected even once evidence is provided that they are incorrect is shocking and does nothing to ease the Freedom Camping problems often seen in New Zealand.
Some examples include a Government linked website of a camping application which states a shower is a requirement of the standard. Matters of personal hygiene are not and never have been, within the scope of the standard whose sole goal is to ensure the “ablutionary and sanitary needs of the occupants of the motor caravan or caravan are met for a minimum period of three days”.
Other issues include the failure to issue a certificate of self containment for reasons which are not even covered by the standard, examples of this include beds and seating which are again items not covered by the Standard. The only requirements which determine the capacity of a camper vehicle under the standard are the litre capacity of its tanks. For example the capacity of fresh and grey water tanks must be 12 litres per person per 3 days, so if you have 96 litres that would meet the requirement for 8 people. If you also achieve a toilet capacity of 3 litres per person for 3 days with a total of 24 liters you again meet the requirements for 8 people. It makes no difference whether this tankage is fitted to a small people mover type vehicle or a Motorbike - it is certifiable under the standard if other misc requirements are met. This relates to water seals ( S & P traps on waste pipes) and vents from tanks.
That a
private organization has been allowed free access to the
Standard to make amendments, has in itself lead to more
contradictions and misunderstandings.
New Amendments
released May 2017 say that the toilet must be use-able at
all times even with the bed made up, but once camping a
toilet tent or awning maybe used. The standard only applies
when camping is happening !
Under the Standard
(NZS;5465) and clearly stated at the bottom of page 5 is the
following definition of “Self
Containment”.
“SELF CONTAINMENT. The
ability to meet the ablutionary and sanitary needs of the
occupants of the motor caravan or caravan for a minimum
period of three days without requiring any external services
or discharging any waste”.
What is NOT mentioned in the Standard’s own
definition of self containment is any requirement for
“certification”.
Having watched a number of
Council’s review their Freedom Camping Bylaws and the
constant mentioning during those regulatory reviews
of“self containment’ without mention of certification
raises an interesting question - If the Council refers to
Certified Self Containment during regulatory reviews as
“Self Containment” can they then legally impose ‘self
containment certification’ as a restriction on freedom
camping sites? We believe they can not without a regulatory
agreement (duly noted in the meetings minutes) to refer to
“certified self containment” as simply “self
containment” during any regulatory processes. We are yet
to discover any such Meeting minutes.
In this respect it
also creates another aspect where people. quite rightly, are
able to challenge any Freedom Camping infringements issued
over self containment.
Responsible
Campers Association Incorporated are the promoters
of
New Zealand’s only
Responsible Campers Accreditation
scheme,
designed to bring
fairness to all who Freedom Camp in New Zealand, no matter
the mode of camping or to which clubs they belong
to.
The program uses education
and a quiz to determine Responsible
Campers.
Responsible Campers
Association has become an Incorporated Society.
Our constitution demands we act for all kiwi
campers in an unbiased manner.
http://www.accreditedcampernz.com
ends