Fears DoC camping ground plans could lower standards

Holiday camp at the base of Mauao looking out towards Mt Maunganui's main beach. Picture / Bay of Plenty Times

A group representing holiday park operators is concerned Department of Conservation proposals to increase the number of camping grounds will see standards slip.

A DOC review released at the weekend looked at concerns that traditional family camping grounds were being sold to developers.

It found the number of camping areas had fallen by 6 per cent over the past decade with 70 camping grounds lost nationally since 1996.

The greatest drop was in the most popular area - the upper North Island. In the Coromandel 20 camping grounds - one third of its camping capacity - were lost, most since 2001.

The review's proposals included using more public land for camping grounds and reviewing related regulations.

Holiday Accommodation Parks Association (HAPNZ) chief executive Fergus Brown said the group - which represents over 295 camping grounds - had "major" concerns about reviewing the Camping Ground Regulations 1985.

It said the regulations provided flexibility for exemptions where a specific demand existed and Mr Brown said the suggestion appeared to be that private operators would be able to run campsites similar to DOC's own sites that did not meet requirements.

"The quality of New Zealand's tourism infrastructure is an important issue and one that HAPNZ takes seriously," he said.

"We do not want to encourage a lowering of standards of facilities of any part of New Zealand's tourism infrastructure... The answer is not to bring the quality of the private sector down to DOC's level."

Mr Brown said the regulations were not a barrier to entry into the sector and to change them showed "little regard for the future of New Zealand's tourism industry".

Instead he said there were barriers in other legislation at local and central government level that impacted on the financial viability of the commercial holiday park sector.

Mr Brown also questioned the quality of the research in the review and said Statistics New Zealand figures showed the number of commercial establishments in the sector had increased since 1997, capacity remained static and annual guest nights increased by 1,125,575 or 22.6 per cent.

The review had not done a risk analysis of options and how they would affect operators.

"We note that this report is only the beginning of the process, however we would have liked to see a more analytical approach taken when suggesting options," he said.

At the weekend The Tourism Industry Association (TIA) also expressed concerns about tinkering with regulations.

It wanted assurance that private camping ground owners were protected and that subsidised camping grounds, for example, were not set up in competition.

Green Party co-leader Russel Norman said the decline in camping grounds showed a need "to take some of the heat out of the coastal property market" by restricting the sale of land to overseas owners.

And today New Zealand First MP Doug Woolerton said action needed to be taken and welcomed the Government's attention to the problem.

"The minister's consideration of the options available... is a sad affirmation that the prime camping spots have already been snapped up, and that New Zealanders have to look elsewhere for their camping holidays."

Conservation Minister Chris Carter previously said he supported the greater use of public land for camping. He expected to finalise a set of recommendations to take to Cabinet early next year.

- NZPA