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Campervans - Source: ONE News -
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A call to outlaw campervans has caused a rumble within the tourism industry.
Tired of the waste the van users produce, the Otago Conservation Board has discussed a ban and now wants the government to spearhead a strategy to deal with them.
The Board's chairperson, Hoani Langsbury, has spoken out about the mess many campervans leave behind.
"We have had a proliferation of vans that really just have cooking facilities and a bed in them, and are not being self contained," Langsbury says.
The problem has prompted an extreme suggestion on how to sort out the issue.
"One of the options may be to ban all campervans," Langsbury says.
However, with the average international campervan traveller spending three weeks and $6,000 in New Zealand, industry representatives say any sweeping changes should be considered very carefully.
"We think that (the board) has taken a sledge hammer approach to an issue that requires a lot less," says Kate Meldrum of Tourism Holdings Marketing.
It seems the real issue is that New Zealand has a burgeoning campervan industry, but no unified rules - and the Otago Conservation Board wants that changed.
"There needs to be consideration given to a national strategy because it's fairly inconsistent in what you can do with regards to camping throughout New Zealand," Langsbury says.
The board plans to send a letter to the Department of Conservation with their concerns.
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