6/9/2019

Timaru District Council has been awarded $40,000 Government funding to support a range of projects to develop Responsible Camping in the district over the coming summer season.

The funding from the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment will support Timaru District Council’s new initiative to engage responsible campers in the Tiaki Promise: Care for New Zealand.

Council’s Park and Recreation Manager Bill Steans said that the funding was specifically earmarked to help enable people to camp in a more responsible and sustainable way.

“The projects involve training and equipping Tiaki Ambassadors, who will visit the campsites across the district engaging campers in the core principles of the Tiaki Promise, educating campers, promoting responsible camping and sharing information and advice,” he said.

“They will also service and monitor each campsites on a regular basis, handling complaints and issues. There will be an extra weekly service of toilet/ablution blocks and rubbish/recycling facilities at the campsites of the District,

“The Ambassadors will also be a friendly face providing information about local points of interests to campers. They will feed information, such as campers’ thoughts, back to the Council to inform management of camping facilities.

“Another import part of the project involves installing two information signs at Patiti Point and Caroline Bay campsites with Tiaki Promise of caring New Zealand for now and for future generations.” Steans said.

“The funding offers us an opportunity to combine serving the campsites with the Ambassadors’ role, in addition to sharing information digitally from the field in real time. This gives efficiencies of delivery as well as adding value to visitors and the local community.

“Camping is one of the most Kiwi of pastimes, it’s an activity we treasure in the Timaru District and we want visitors to experience.”

“We believe these projects would help foster responsible camping and the Tiaki Promise and engage freedom campers in the value of taking better care of our wild open spaces.”

Timaru District Council runs 11 free camping sites across the district, more information about each of the sites can be found at: https://www.timaru.govt.nz/community/facilities/camping/

For more information about the tiaki promise, visit: https://tiakinewzealand.com

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