Listen: Could freedom camping boost revenue in rural NZ?

Freedom camping has been in the news recently with campers' activities raising concerns about environmental and public health risks.

In Queenstown the problem has become so worrying that Queenstown Lakes District Mayor Jim Boult says his council is set to ban freedom campers from the northern end of Lake Hayes and the Shotover Delta.

Queenstown-based business consultant Mark Wilson spoke to The Country about how he thinks freedom camping could be turned into an economic boon for rural New Zealand.

Mark says that Queenstown's infrastructure isn't equipped to deal with the influx of campers and has pushed them out. As a result, nearby town Lumsden has opened its doors and has noticed an increase in revenue at its cafes and bars says Wilson.

"One man's trash is always another one's treasure"