Whanganui District Council closes freedom camping site on Taupō Quay

A Whanganui freedom camping site has been temporarily shut down.

Whanganui District Council chief executive David Langford said the council was struggling with the actions of some people living at its Taupō Quay site.

It was the site of the council’s homeless hub until late last year when it was scrapped in favour of funding other homeless support services.

“We’ve had property damage, abuse and intimidating behaviour,” he said.

The Taupō Quay site in April this year. Photo / Mike Tweed

Those living there have until August 26 to move out, along with any vehicles, tents and personal items.

Langford said the current situation was not “the family-friendly environment we want to create on that riverside walkway”.

The walkway, part of the Ngā Ara Tūhono Mountains to Sea Cycle Trail, runs past the site along the Whanganui River.

Council was trying to fill a gap left by central government agencies when it came to homelessness, Langford said.

“It’s not typically seen as one of council’s core businesses but we’re here to look after the community.

“That means everyone in the community, including those people that are experiencing homelessness.”

Last year, the council began work on turning the Taupō Quay site into a homeless hub.

Whanganui District Council chief executive David Langford. Photo / NZME

Two 20-foot containers – an ablution block and a portacom – were set to move on to the site but consenting slowed the process.

The hub was scrapped last December.

Langford said the small group at Taupō Quay was refusing to work with the council.

“They don’t want to register with MSD [Ministry of Social Development] and they don’t want to work with the Whanganui People’s Centre to find houses.

“We’ve got to the point where we’ve offered all the help we can.

“It’s been refused so we have to go and deal with the bad behaviour so we can look after the rest of the community that might be walking by or owning property nearby.”

The council’s freedom camping bylaw allows homeless people to live at the sites as long as they are on MSD’s housing register.

“We have continued to fund the people’s centre so they can carry on doing what they do - going around our freedom camping sites to support people to register with MSD and get on the housing waitlist,” he said.

“We are starting to see a continual turnover of people getting into accommodation, whether it’s through MSD or private accommodation the people centre are sourcing.

“They are doing really good work. We are pleased with the impact they are having.”

Whanganui People’s Centre manager Sharon Semple said she agreed with the decision to shut the site.

“When it becomes unsafe to go on to a site and nobody is engaging with the provider that has been contracted, what do you do?” she said.

“It’s hard to make a difference or make positive changes for people that are volatile and abusive.

“You can’t work with that.”

Semple said she had offered transportation for those at Taupō Quay to visit the centre itself – “a relaxed, warm environment”.

Whanganui People's Centre manager Sharon Semple says she agrees with the decision to shut the site. Photo / NZME

“We don’t have a magic wand but we can work with people to navigate and engage them in speciality services – to make sure they are on a benefit, to make sure they are on medication, to make sure their social issues are addressed,” she said.

“But, they have to want that as well.”

A police spokesperson said they were assisting council with the shut down as required.

“Police are not currently aware of anyone of interest to us living there, however, we know it is a transient location.”

Langford said council enforcement officers monitored all freedom camping sites to make sure rules were being followed.

Council staff worked with police, Health New Zealand Te Whatu Ora, the MSD and the Ministry for Housing and Urban Development to try to help people but also to “make sure we have law and order in the community”, he said.

Mike Tweed is a multimedia journalist at the Whanganui Chronicle. Since starting in March 2020, he has dabbled in everything from sport to music. At present his focus is local government, primarily the Whanganui District Council.