This survey provided guidance to the Council on:
Published date: 30 May 2013
- Whether camping should be prohibited in some areas and
- Expectations about ‘remote’ and ‘self-contained’ campsites.
Key findings are that:
- More than half of the people who responded to the Camping in Dunedin survey have been camping.
- Most of the respondents have only a limited understanding of the camping rules in Dunedin.
- When respondents go camping, they usually sleep in a tent and the majority stay at camping grounds.
- More than half of respondents would pay between $5 and $10 for a ‘remote’ campsite and 20% would pay between $10 and $20. Only 4% of respondents said they would pay nothing for a ‘remote’ campsite.
- Respondents were prepared to pay less for a ‘self-contained’ campsite.
- Most respondents (85%) would expect to travel less than 50km from a self-contained campsite to the nearest services.
- The majority of respondents (71%) had not encountered problems with campers, although 29% of respondents had encountered problems.
- For those encountering problems, rubbish was the most common problem (75%) followed by human waste (53%).
- Almost half of respondents are satisfied or very satisfied with the behaviour of campers in Dunedin, approximately a third of respondents are neutral about the behaviour of campers and 8% are dissatisfied or very dissatisfied.
People's Panel findings have been used to prepare the DCC's proposed Responsible Camping Policy and Camping Control Bylaw 2013. These proposals were approved for public consultation by the Council on 20 May 2013. Formal consultation will take place from 25 May to 28 June 2013.
Findings have also been used to plan projects associated with the proposed policy and bylaw, including reviewing facilities and signs, improving public awareness, and preparing a feasibility report on the establishment of a basic Department of Conservation style camping ground in the Dunedin area.