Monday 16 May 2011

Smith to campers: “Go, Move, Shift” [updated]

“Freedom camping” has just been made less free. Or, by Thursday, will be—with new powers given to the wielders of council clip boards to harass, fine and prosecute people doing nothing more than enjoying the great outdoors in a mobile home.

The ill-named “Freedom Camping Bill” will be introduced by ministers Kate Wilkinson and Nick Smith (a woman who oversees the deportation of hard-working immigrants, and an authoritarian with a tongue so forked he could hug a tree with it) to reduce the freedom of all campers in order to meliorate the problems caused by just a few.

A large sledge hammer to crack a few irres0ponsible nuts.

But it’s par for the course. The puritans are at the gate, teetolitarians making everything illegal that hasn’t already been made compulsory. You can’t smoke in public; you can’t drink outside; you can’t put up signs outside that the puritans don’t like—or in places the puritans don’t want you to. Bit by bit, law by law, infringement by infringement, the great outdoors and much of our freedom is being shut down by  and who seem of one mind that if there’s any danger of someone, somewhere, enjoying themselves in a way that isn’t mandated then there ought to be a law against it forthwith.

Here’s Christy Moore:

“Go, Move Shift” by Ewen McColl, sung by Christy Moore

“New Zealand has an environmental problem … our environmental problem is freedom campers, and the government has decided to Do Something and eradicate them.
    You can see why: freedom campers are messy, untidy, and occasionally leave their shit lying around for other people to tread in … problems [that] could be solved, by (for example) providing free public facilities, backed by fines for pollution. Instead, they've decided to enable and encourage councils to ban camping, with instant spot fines. You'd almost think they were more interested in pushing people to use private, for profit campgrounds than in solving the actual problem...
    But while this will lead to tidier roadsides and public reserves, it is also a massive attack on the rights of New Zealanders. Its not just foreign tourists who camp in public space; these sorts of camping holidays are a long kiwi tradition. National would outlaw that …”

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

What would you do about people who leave human waste where they camp?

It's revolting, it's a growing problem and not just in rural areas.

Peter Cresswell said...

Yes, clearly the only thing to be done to stop a small number of people poohing where they camp is to prohibit camping altogether for everyone.

Makes perfect sense. Like banning speech because a few of you talk nonsense.

Anonymous said...

Your not suggesting people should be free to pooh anywhere are you?

What's a "small" enough number to make pooh in the wrong place acceptable?

The proposed law change doesn't prohibit camping altogether. People with self-contained loos will be able to camp almost anywhere; those without will be able to camp where there are loos.

To use your example of speech - this isn't the equivalent of just spouting nonsense it's offensive language and there are restrictions on where you can use that.

Anonymous said...

Your not . . . shoud be you're not . . . .

peterquixote said...

The road rules for free traveling are obvious and simple,
leave no mess, and buy from local merchant.
I do this in Australia, out of my campervan and consequently I never have problems.
The police ignore me
European men in New Zealand especially, and couples come to New Zealand with an intolerable arrogance,
They do not recognize us, and they need to be sorted out.

Most of my friends agree with a visitor tax, to alleviate the shit that tourist low class
leave and dissipate.
This tax is easily imposed at borders, and would not interfere with higher quality tourists who
Contribute to New Zealand.
Pay here tourist,

Anonymous said...

How often do people pull over into your driveway and dump, Peter?

I refuse to believe I have offended the touring world's sensibilities, so it's not personal, just a convenient place to overnight and shit out of sight of the road.

George

Mort said...

will the council inspectors now be on the prowl to tax people who want to provide pay-for-service latrines for campers' effluent discharges?

the problem of freedom camping became an issue with hiring of van's which are not fitted with portapottees, so wouldn't a better answer have been to have the van's carry a portapottee (just make it part of the WoF for that kind of vehicle).