The Southland District Council is seeking its share in government funding to better manage freedom campers in the Southland district this summer.

The SDC has applied for $161,000 of funding and plans to roll out several initiatives to promote responsible camping, which include: employing Freedom Camping Ambassadors to educate campers in hotspot areas, research to understand how campers are made aware of freedom camping sites, identifying campers who display fraudulent self-contained warrants, and installing new signage in the Catlins.

The report was submitted as an urgent late item by SDC Manager of Environmental Health Michael Sarfariti at a council meeting yesterday morning, following the government’s recent announcement that it would make available $8 million via the Ministry of Innovation and Employment (MBIE) to continue to support councils to manage responsible camping during the 2020/21 summer season.

Applications for funding close today (August 28).

The SDC will also contribute towards the costs by providing the vehicles and fund the set-up costs for the Ambassadors, as well as supervisory support, and signs in the Catlins. 

 The SDC has identified four initiatives for funding, with the first being employing three freedom camping ambassadors, two of which will be new positions. 

Currently, the SDC – in partnership with the Department of Conservation (DOC) – operates ambassadors in the Catlins part of the district, and also in the Te Anau area, however the report says DOC has indicated it will not be able to provide funding for the 2020/21 Catlins service. 

Two new full-time positions will cover part of the existing Te Anau service but also Western and Northern Southland, where there is currently no service.

This area would include Lumsden, which is described as a "hotspot for freedom camping in the district" in the report.

The SDC also wants to employ a fulltime Ambassador for the Catlins to continue current services there.  

Mr Sarfariti mentions in the report that, as the district is very large, having three ambassadors will allow them to educate in hotspot areas and in various towns as they are driving through.

Ambassadors will also educate campers at key conservation area sites.

The SDC estimate that it will need $132,000 in funding to pay for the three ambassador salaries. 

The second initiative is to survey 100 vans that display self-contained warrants to identify the extent of the problem of campers who display fraudulent self-contained warrants on their vans. This work will be done by the ambassadors and the cost absorbed in their salaries. 

This is a problem each year with campers not complying with the self-contained regulations.

The third initiative is to research to gain a better understanding of how campers are made aware of freedom camping sites, especially through specific apps and websites that are used. This will enable the council to communicate with app and website providers more effectively, to help when managing hot spots. 

Finally, the SDC wants to install new prominent signage in the Catlins to clearly outline what is an approved camping location for campers. This would include installing two new road panels at two entrance points to the Catlins scenic route and three new shelters equipped with information panels at the SDC's freedom camping sites in the Catlins.