The Board has approved a recommendation from the management team at National Office to end the temporary stay on certifying members’ people mover vehicles. 

In making its decision the Board agreed the temporary stay has served its purpose and any further continuation of it would be unnecessary, while potentially undermining the club’s family-orientated future growth strategy.  

A two-year temporary stay on the ability for NZMCA SCO’s to certify people mover vehicles under the NZMCA’s self-containment programme was first instigated in February 2018. The decision followed escalating concerns and complaints from Self Containment Officers, local authorities, and communities nationwide on the ability for people mover vehicles to achieve the new toilet requirements under the Standard. 

At that time the Board felt it was important for the Association to support its network of volunteer SCOs, protect the NZMCA’s reputation with communities and local government, and avoid giving councils an excuse to adopt prohibitive freedom camping bylaws (as some were threatening to do).  

On November 30, 2019 the Board extended the stay until the end of February 2021. However, after careful consideration at the weekend’s meeting, the Board accepted the recommendation to remove the stay and gave National Office until February 28, 2021 to advise NZMCA self-containment officers (SCO’s) and update our internal procedures.

From March 1, 2021, SCOs may certify any member vehicle that complies with NZS 5465:2001 and meets the NZMCA’s interpretation of section 6.1.1 – minimum toilet requirements.