JONATHAN DOW
The lack of coastal conservation land in Hawke's Bay has DOC looking to private land owners to run beachfront camping grounds.
A Department of Conservation review, prompted by the loss of coastal camping grounds such as Blue Bay, at Opoutama, has suggested two new camping grounds in Hawke's Bay.
The two sites are Kuripaponga on the Napier-Taihape Road and Hopuruahine Landing, at Lake Waikaremoana, which is already an unofficial camping ground. Hawke's Bay conservancy community relations manager Brett Butland said owners of coastal land may be interested in working with DOC to run camping grounds.
"Because we don't have adequate coastal land there may be individuals who do," he said.
Mr Butland said some were concerned that rushing to set up extra camping grounds may cause standards to drop.
"But if there's a market that is looking for at a basic standard (of camping facilities), then that's what we can look at."
A spokesman for Conservation Minister Chris Carter said the next step was to take a closer look at possible sites for camping on public land in more detail. The review found that since 1996, 70 of the country's camping grounds had closed, including 23 in the East Coast/Hawke's Bay region.
Camping ground capacity was only an issue during the peak summer period.
Because the demand was for such a short period it made no sense for either the Government or the private sector to spend a significant amount of money developing permanent facilities.
Department of Conservation Hawke's Bay area manager Ken Hunt said what public land there was on the coast, at Clifton, Pourere, and Blackhead, was vested in the local council, which ran camping grounds there.
Mr Hunt said there was a lot of informal camping in Hawke's Bay. "The Gums" at Puketitiri, the Glen Falls recreational reserve on the Mohaka River, and the reserve at Lake Tutira were all popular camping areas.
DOC wants more private coastal campgrounds
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