People living at troubled Gore campground have until Friday to leave

The campground will close on Friday before the lease officially ends in late February.

By RNZ

People who live at a troubled campground in Gore have until the end of the working week to leave.

The Gore District Council said the lease for the Gore Motor Camp is being terminated and the campground will close on Friday.

The campground hit headlines last year, with the council saying it had received ongoing complaints about people’s safety and the condition of the site.

The campground was intended for stays of up to 50 days but people had been living there, the council said.

Four Trades Direct owner and lessee Nicholas Irons has previously said that he would not turn anyone away because they had nowhere else to go and the camp was providing a valuable community service.

Council chief executive Debbie Lascelles acknowledged that it was a challenging and uncertain time for the people staying at Gore Motor Camp.

“We want to thank occupants for the respect, patience and co-operation they have shown while these matters have been worked through. Our focus now is ensuring the transition is handled as smoothly as possible,” she said.

In September, Lascelles said that the issues had not improved despite working with the leaseholder for years and the council had advised residents they had 50 days to find different accommodation with support from government agencies.

Gore mayor Ben Bell said it had been a long-standing concern for many and he was pleased the situation was being resolved.

“We can now look forward to further community discussion about the best use for this site moving forward,” he said.

The lease will end in late February.

RNZ has contacted Irons for comment.

-RNZ