Queenstown Lakes District Council (QLDC) has temporarily banned freedom camping at one hotspot.

Freedom camping will be banned at Allenby Place, a quiet street near Mount Iron, from next Friday (January 23) until the start of May, while QLDC considers its “long-term suitability”.

“Allenby Place freedom camping area has experienced access and health and safety issues relating to increased traffic that are unique to the layout of this area,” QLDC chief executive Mike Theelen said.

The narrowness of the accessway into the Allenby Place carpark was causing issues, he said.

Three freedom camping spaces had been added at the Wānaka Recreation Centre to account for the reduction.

The decision follows a chaotic holiday period around the district where hundreds of freedom camping tickets were issued and hundreds called in to complain about non-compliance, litter, noise and more.

Deputy mayor Quentin Smith, who lives on Allenby Place, said he was “really happy about the temporary ban at Allenby and I am certain that other residents and users of Mount Iron will be pleased”.

He said he had witnessed campers circling Allenby Place looking for available spots, which were usually filled by early afternoon, people lining up for toilets late at night, and some washing dishes in the drinking fountains and bathrooms - and he was aware of similar issues in other residential freedom camping sites.

Related: Freedom camping ‘disaster’ prompts pushback on new bylaw.

“Council will receive a report in time for permanent adjustments,” Quentin said.

Mike said the Freedom Camping Bylaw had been largely doing its job by directing visitors to 15 pre-determined locations and keeping campers out of most residential streets.

“The bylaw is only six weeks old and overall having a positive outcome,” he said.

“However, it’s fair to say the sheer volume does create challenges. Since December 1 there have been 3,335 vehicle ‘check ins’ to designated freedom camping spaces alone.”

Quentin, on the other hand, was less optimistic about the newly adopted bylaw.

“The issues we are encountering over the summer have spurred a new round of engagement with other councils like Mackenzie District, the [Regional Tourism Organisations] like Lake Wānaka Tourism and the local MPs office, Miles Anderson, about permanent solutions.”

The council needs more power to control the areas where freedom camping is considered suitable, he said.

Group SaveClean NZ has campaigned to have Beacon Point removed as a freedom camping site, citing concerns around sanitation, the effect on the environment and enforcement.

Spokesperson Andrea Beryl said she hoped a ban at Beacon Point would follow the Allenby Place one.

PHOTO: Wānaka App