An activity called “freedom camping” is being blamed for an increase in used toilet paper and human excrement littering popular tourist destinations in New. 04.07.2022, Sputnik International
A New Zealand law allowing people to poo in public so long as they do not think they are being watched must be tightened, says a freedom camping association, amid long-running allegations that campers are to blame for much of the human waste in the natural environment.
It is currently an offense to defecate or urinate in a public place other than in a public lavatory but if the person can show they had reasonable grounds for believing they were not being observed, they could escape a NZ$200 (US$125) fine.
The Responsible Campers Association said the law should
A responsible freedom camping advocating group, is again
calling for an inquiry into New Zealand’s Freedom Camping
situation after Minister Maureen Pughs members bill was
pulled from the ballot box yesterday, and the United Nations
report into Homelessness in NZ was released
overnight.
Responsible Campers Association
said the bill highlights the ongoing issues around
assumptions that blame freedom campers for every bit of
litter and pooh on the roadside, when the reality is, as a
group, freedom campers are the least likely to engage in
irresponsible behaviour due to having facilities onboard to
mange waste. The majority of campers have that ability, even
They would also tighten rules on self-containment certification to include plumbed in toilets, Simpson added. The group is proposing that building more public toilets and rubbish bins for all road users would be a more sustainable solution. “Not everyone can afford a self-contained vehicle, but we can all be responsible and respect people and places. It is never okay to take someone’s only shelter,” Simpson said. A $1000 fine may not mean much to those who could afford plumbing in their vehicles, she said, but for those on Winz benefits, pensions, or student allowances, it could be three times their weekly income.