Photo: Getty ImagesWestland District Council will today hear from struggling campground owners, who have experienced a "painfully quiet" summer after the introduction of designated freedom camping areas. The council opened 10 responsible freedom sites - complete with bins, toilets, fencing and monitoring - in November, in a bid to manage rapidly increasing numbers of freedom campers along the coast. "If this keeps up for the next two, three months we'll be packing up, selling up." Westland mayor Bruce Smith said in terms of controlling freedom camping, the sites have been an "outstanding success," but he is keen to listen to the concerns of his community. Any recommendations put forward will be put into a staff report and considered at their February council meeting, he said.

Source: Otago Daily Times February 07, 2019 00:11 UTC