One caller said he was told his call would be logged but no one was available to deal with the situation. When council staff did arrive, they either didn't know the bylaws or did not have the authority to move people on.
A number of meetings are now being organised by residents, the local ratepayers' group and the council, and Mayor John Carter has promised a better council response next summer.
Residents who were sick of the "freeloaders" at the reserve had Mr Atkinson's support. He said camping on the reserve next year would be nipped in the bud.
"It was an absolute shambles there over Christmas," he said, adding that he would be meeting with Mr Carter, councillors Colin Kitchen and Mate Radich, and council staff, to address the issue.
Apart from that, he said, beachgoers at Tokerau had been well-behaved. He gave the credit to the imposition of a speed limit at beach access points and the work done by an honorary beach warden.