The New Zealand Motorcaravan Association says Punakaiki should be telling tourists they were welcome, at a time when Kaikoura is "screaming" to get visitors back.
Two weeks ago the Buller District Council received a 105-name petition from Punakaiki residents asking for a freedom camping ban to be imposed north and south of the township after local residents said they were fed-up with cleaning up piles of human faeces left by freedom campers in non-self-contained campers. Only a handful of residents did not join the petition.
Recently the fire brigade had to ask campervans to move away from the Punakaiki River after they were hampering access to water to fight a fire in a nearby motel.
However, the Buller council deferred making a decision until a national policy was drawn up, noting that it could be challenged in court.
The New Zealand Motor Caravan Association has previously filed court action against the Westland and Queenstown councils over their attempts to bring in a freedom camping ban.
Chief executive Bruce Lochore said in a statement today the publicity a proposed Punakaiki ban attracted was "not a good message to be sending to tourists".