Responsible camping has a long and valued history in Aotearoa New Zealand, and many kiwis see it as their birthright to camp around New Zealand at low or no cost.

Stuart Nash's proposed changes to Freedom Camping are too harsh and ill-thought-out as to be reasonable. These proposals will impact particularly harshly on lower income New Zealanders, and present a real risk to the homeless.

Instead, if the Government continues to claim there is a Nationwide 'Freedom Camping problem', we urge you to focus on providing better access to camping facilities such as toilets and kitchens, and invest further in technology to prevent overcrowding, instead of penalising people for not meeting proposals that will quite frankly be impossible for many.

The MBIE states that in 2019 an estimated 154,000 international visitors and 91,000 New Zealanders freedom camped.
This means pre-COVID19, almost half of everyone who freedom camped in 2019 were New Zealand residents.
We must acknowledge what an important part of kiwi life Freedom Camping plays.

Our environment is precious and should always be protected. Responsible camping ensures people can enjoy our country without impacting negatively upon it. Thousands of people camp responsibly every year - people who will be unable to do so should the Proposals be granted.

The increase of a Nationwide Freedom Camping problem is in itself a falsehood. The MBIE states that "Many territorial authorities have observed a decrease in the total number of infringements issued over the past three years." 

The MBIE states the following issues with Freedom Camping:

1) Waste i.e. apparent instances of human waste and littering. By providing better access to camping facilities such as toilets and kitchens, the MBIE states "the number of such instances would decrease."

2) Overcrowding. The MBIE itself states: "Cameras to report when campsites are full...have proven to be effective in stopping overcrowding...with 91% of campers redirected from full camping sites."  
Note that overcrowding is likely to increase if Proposal 2 is granted. 

3) "Price sensitive visitors."  Research published by MBIE in 2020 found that people who choose to freedom camp spend more on average than other visitors.

Impact of the proposed changes:

• Requiring Certified Self-Contained (CSC) vehicles to have a plumbed flushable toilet - a considerable cost to upgrade, or a luxury only available to those who currently own motorhomes. Many New Zealanders will be unable to Freedom Camp at all.
• Freedom camping in CSC vehicles only - upgrading to the current basic CSC standard (if even possible) is estimated at nearly $1000. To meet the new standard above, it will be considerably more.
• Non CSC vehicles to stay at campgrounds with toilets only - these will risk becoming overcrowded, or full so many kiwis miss out.
• Fines for camping in a vehicle without a toilet increase to $1000, enforcement officers to confiscate a vehicle if they believe the person is doing this. Allowing BOTH of these infringements to be enforced on land administered by Waka Kotahi or other Crown owned land (most New Zealand land).
  This is of particular concern. It cannot be assumed enforcement officers will correctly interpret individual circumstances. The RCAi claims they hear of at least 10 fatigued drivers a week being wrongly fined. There is a very real risk that homeless people will be penalised. The MBIE states "the proposals set out in this discussion document are not intended to further disadvantage vulnerable population groups. However, it is possible that some of the proposals in this document may do so."  This is unacceptable.

The decision to camp responsibly is the same for everybody - whether camping in a van with a sleeping platform, a $10 tent, or a $300,000 motorhome. 

Stuart Nash's proposals restrict and penalise, giving kiwis the message that they are not welcome to enjoy their country unless they can afford it.

ALL New Zealanders should have the opportunity to access and enjoy their back yard - not just those wealthy enough to do so.