Outdoor recreation groups are calling on the Tourism Minister, Hon Kelvin Davis, to clarify his policies on freedom camping prior to this years elections.

The Minister has previously made it clear that Freedom Camping will not be banned and has supported the Self Containment Standard for RV’s which applies only to RV’s, but is more often than not, applied to all freedom campers.

However outdoor recreation groups are saying the support of the self containment standard is not warranted, and want it dismantled. “It applies only to RV’s, but its use has been right across the board affecting Cyclists, Hunters and others that can not even meet the requirements of the standard”. Those who can meet the requirements are a small minority group of campers as defined in the Camping Act “How can that even be justified in a fair & democratic society?”.

While gun owners are still reeling from the firearm reforms that many feel have not been justified, the Government has last week enacted more restrictions on fishing on the North Islands west coast.

Department of Conservation has also had to concede recently that the Back-country was included in the Camping legislation after proclaiming for the past 9 years that it wasn’t.

The Minister formed a Responsible Camping working group soon after being promoted to Tourism Minister, but failed to include any representatives from non RV organizations demonstrating his apparent lack of knowledge of the Freedom Camping Act or the definition of Freedom Camp therein.

“We call on the Minister to right the wrongs he has allowed to occur and/or continue on his watch and to publicly condemn the self containment standard for RV’s, by so doing he removes the single biggest obstacle for the majority of freedom campers”

“ For most kiwis the outdoors is a major part of recreational life and we deserve to be treated fairly and in a manner that is justified in a fair and democratic Society”

“By all means, if you need to ban RV’s from freedom camping due to the complaints received about them, do so - but do not tar all outdoor users with the same brush as them”.

All outdoor users are entitled , not only to be heard - but also to have your policies around freedom camping known prior to the election.

We shall not stand by any longer and be bullied by the policies of minority RV type clubs who are at best self serving and never consider anyone but themselves, while the Government allows them to do so.

So what say you Minister?

Do you really want to further risk the votes of estimated million Kiwis that use the outdoors?

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