A Canterbury tourist operator is horrified a freedom camping bylaw could be dumped.

Freedom campers have this summer been seen dumping their toilet waste, littering and occupying key public spaces, with Akaroa a popular spot for the visitors.

Akaroa Top 10 Holiday Park manager Jane Arwidson said the issue needed to be adressed, citing this week's story about a trio of German travellers pitching a tent and defecating in an abandoned red zone property.

A bylaw was the only way officials could try to stop the ''absolutely disgusting'' behaviour of freedom campers, she said.

A Christchurch City Council staff report, to be tabled at tomorrow's strategy and planning committee, said it should keep dealing with issues on a case-by-case basis instead of introducing a bylaw.

While a bylaw would give a ''comprehensive, city-wide approach'' to freedom camping, the report said it may not be a priority ''given the range of earthquake (and other) issues at the moment''.

Arwidson could not understand that rationale as a tough line needed to be taken on the issue that had plagued so many parts of the city this summer.

At her holiday park, freedom campers had been caught ''sneaking'' into the camp to shower, do their laundry and cook, and empty their toilet waste down drains or into the water.

''The situation will just keep going if we don't have a bylaw. Anything other than a bylaw isn't actually going to fix the situation,'' Arwidson said.

Council staff were told in late January to investigate actions that could control and restrict incidents of freedom camping issues.

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Freedom camping bylaw unlikely