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A man who has been freedom camping at the shut-down Gulf Harbour Country Club for much of the past year, causing considerable angst among some Gulf Harbour residents, is there with the tacit approval of the site’s owner, Long River Investments.
Last week, Auckland Council compliance manager Adrian Wilson said although council has no powers to intervene in freedom camping on private land, council had been in touch with Long River Investments director Wayne Bailey noting the concerns of the community, and asking whether he would allow police to issue a trespass notice to those occupying his property or give permission for council to request this from police. That offer was declined.
Tim Stewart, who has previously freedom camped in Orewa (HM December 4, 2019), calls himself a permanent vehicle dweller – something that is not from choice – rather than a freedom camper. Currently there is one other person living on the site, but others have come and gone.
He moved his self-contained caravan, and boat, onto the carpark after the golf course closed and said it quickly became evident that the abandoned clubhouse was attracting vandals and thieves.
“At the start it was teenagers, but over time they became bolder – and older,” he said.
Over the following months, Stewart observed increasingly criminal behaviour. People would turn up, usually late at night, stripping the building of everything from equipment to windows and doors. Huge ovens were carried off and he remembered an incident when a couple of men had been busy unscrewing heavy glass doors when police arrived.
“It looked like a war zone up there some nights.”
He assisted police with information about what he had seen.
Stewart said as more thuggish behaviour started occurring, he worried about his safety and that of his 11-year-old daughter, who sometimes stayed over.
At times people in vehicles or walking past would hassle the campers.
“We just wanted to be left alone,” he said.
At a recent public meeting called by advocacy group Keep Whangaparāoa’s Green Spaces (KWGS) Stewart spoke to some people about those concerns, but came away unsatisfied.
“No-one gives a stuff about our safety.”
Some contributors to the KWGS Facebook page have described people “squatting” at the club, talked about antisocial behaviour, and alerted police to an alleged “machete throwing” incident back in July. Police responded at the time, saying one party had been spoken to and that there were no reported injuries or damage.
Stewart said the language used online has been abusive and offensive, including terms such as “gypsies, grubs and lowlifes”.
At the public meeting, KWGS’ legal adviser Chris Geyde said in relation to the freedom campers that residents “need to keep the pressure on police for the logical conclusion that there should be a prosecution.”
The group’s spokesperson Howard Baldwin says KWGS actively monitors its social media and any post deemed intemperate or inappropriate is removed and followed up with the poster.
“The freedom campers on the privately owned golf course land are the business of the golf course owner, council and police. KWGS remains focused on reinstating the golf course and protecting the green space,” Baldwin says. “We advise residents to stay away from the freedom camping site and report any issues to police.”
