100 New Camping Sites
Conservation Minister Chris Carter is keen for DOC to lease up to 100 campsites to private operators to preserve the 'Kiwi Camping Holiday.' For him too many of the existing private camping sites are being closed down for development. DOC will not be making a profit on any of the leases, he insists.
I think this is symptomatic of this Governments desire to soothe every itch it can find. Not enough camping sites - we'll open up DOC land. TVNZ programming not high-brow enough - we'll introduce a 'charter'. Air NZ in trouble, we'll buy it off the Singaporians.
If there really is such a demand for camping holidays, expect new sites to be developed - someone will work out that they can turn a profit by turning a green field by a river or accross from a beach into a camping site.
And if DOC are to lease land to private campsite operators, why not let DOC make a profit? Having a third of the country to manage there will never be enough funds for DOC to upgrade facilities everywhere. The extra income can be used to upgrade facilities for all DOC land users, not just those who like camping.
I think this is symptomatic of this Governments desire to soothe every itch it can find. Not enough camping sites - we'll open up DOC land. TVNZ programming not high-brow enough - we'll introduce a 'charter'. Air NZ in trouble, we'll buy it off the Singaporians.
If there really is such a demand for camping holidays, expect new sites to be developed - someone will work out that they can turn a profit by turning a green field by a river or accross from a beach into a camping site.
And if DOC are to lease land to private campsite operators, why not let DOC make a profit? Having a third of the country to manage there will never be enough funds for DOC to upgrade facilities everywhere. The extra income can be used to upgrade facilities for all DOC land users, not just those who like camping.
posted by Michael at
8:08 AM
3 Comments:
"...someone will work out that they can turn a profit by turning a green field by a river or accross from a beach into a camping site..."
But that's the problem, isn't it. As you point out in the post earlier...
"...existing private camping sites are being closed down for development."
Why, as a land-owner with a large river/beach section, would you charge $40 a night for a hundred or so families over the holiday season (and the associated rigmarole of actually maintaining facilities), when you could divide the land up, plant some houses on it, and sell a few dozen sections at $400,000-$1M a pop?
By
noizy, at 10:27 AM
Existing campsites may be going into development, but that doesn't mean than other campsites can't be started in a different, less sought after location. (with lower capital values.)
I always thought that the point of camping was to get away from towns and cities.
By
Michael, at 1:21 PM
"Existing campsites may be going into development, but that doesn't mean than other campsites can't be started in a different, less sought after location."
I think it's the same problem though: when faced with developing some houses they can flog off for hundreds of thousands of dollars and forget about, or opening a campsite, I suspect most developers are going to opt for the former.
As far as a 'less sought after location' goes, yeah, that's possible, but, for me camping by a river or beach is the most desirable option, and these are just the sorts of locations where developers are sending property costs through the roof.
"I always thought that the point of camping was to get away from towns and cities."
I'd have thought so too.
By
noizy, at 4:09 PM
Post a Comment
<< Home