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JOANNE HOLDEN
Last Updated 16:57, 22 July 2018
![Department of Conservation Tourism / Recreation Technical Advisor Mike Davies (center) speaks to the large crowd gathered ... [19659004] Distributed by </span>
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Mike Davies (center), Technical Advisor for Tourism and Recreation, addresses the large crowd gathered for a community forum at the Omarama Memorial on Saturday, to hear talk about Ahuriri River camp management plans.
The proposal to add an extra toilet to try to solve human waste problems in a popular short-term camping is "terribly inadequate" and could take months to get funding.
More than one hundred concerned residents attended a public meeting on Saturday at the Omarama Memorial to discuss concerns about the amount of garbage and human waste left at the Ahuriri RIver Bridge encampment. .
Omarama President of the Association of Residents and Taxpayers Patterson said that the meeting was so well attended that the 120 seats available were not enough to accommodate the crowd.
The community of Omarama is concerned about the encampment of the bridge from the Ahuriri River and by the amount of garbage and human waste left over there.
Patterson says that the city's camp has a capacity of 30 vehicles but often has between 50 and 70 every night during the summer, only has one toilet. She says that most human waste was found in the trees behind the only toilet
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* Council, authorities join the campsite [19659007] ] "Small centers in New Zealand are the most affected by the boom of the tourism industry.
"It ruins the hearts and souls of small communities. Something must be done to ensure that tourists have a good experience.
"We have reached the point where we can no longer tolerate it," said Patterson
. , did she say.
At the meeting, the Department of Conservation (DOC) and the Waitaki District Council shared plans for the site and members of the public were able to make their own suggestions.
Those included, temporarily closing the camp until the garbage was cleaned up and setting up a payment system where a phone application would be needed to open the doors, she said.
"We were really surprised at the amount of ideas He tells us that people want something to be done."
Patterson said she had not met yet opposition to reduce the number of visitors to Omarama. Even traders, who thrived through tourism, did not want to see the area destroyed, she said.
Doc Te Manahuna and Twizel senior ranger, Ian Guthrie, were hoping extra toilets would be added to the site before
The success of the plan depended on the success of an application by the Ministry of the Interior. Commerce, Innovation and Employment, DOC and other organizations, asking for $ 500,000 to improve the capacity of overcrowded campgrounds, Guthrie said
These overcrowded campsites included Poaka Lake and Wardell Lake, both near Twizel.
Gary Kircher, Mayor of Waitaki, said a working group, known as the Working Group on Responsible Camping Strategy.
Representatives of the Mackenzie and Waitaki District Councils, DOC, Land Information New Zealand, and the New Zealand Transportation Agency will hold its first meeting in Timaru on Monday
Patterson asked that a community representative be added to the group, and many participants at the meeting agreed that someone from the Residents' Association be included. "We hope we will have a positive response to this request," she said.
"There was a lack of communication between the council and the community, which is why we should be involved in decision-making."
Patterson said the community considered the suggestion of An extra toilet "terribly inadequate."
"I think the community would like to see a lot more done." 19659032] – Tips and Tricks
