Travellers treating a riverside freedom camping area as a toilet have offended a local hapu and forced the Far North council to close the site.
The site at Derrick Landing, on the Taumarere River along Waikare Rd, off State Highway 11, was closed in response to Ngati Manu's concerns that people in campervans without self-contained toilets were defecating at the site.
As well as that being a cultural insult and environmentally unsafe, the Far North District Council has acted on complaints about camping vehicles getting stuck in the mud or river.
Far North District Council general manager of assets, Jacqui Robson said the campsite might be closed permanently.
"We'll be talking with Ngati Manu and the local community about possible options. However, there is no point in reopening Derrick Landing if the problems that led to its closure reoccur," Ms Robson said.