A peaceful agreement has been reached to end protesters' occupation of a park in Picton by the middle of next week.
Nelson Square in the centre of Picton Photo: Google Maps
They arrived at Nelson Square on Monday - where camping is prohibited - with the convoy of protesters.
The Marlborough District Council and protest representatives have agreed that the group will move from Nelson Square no later than 5pm on Wednesday afternoon.
The council has offered them the use of Waitohi Domain during the day time until 4 March, but they have to sleep at private accommodation each evening.
Council chief executive Mark Wheeler said he believed they were acting in good faith.
"The group representatives agreed they will move on to private land to camp and sleepover. Council has offered them the use of Waitohi Domain, which is situated away from residential areas, as a day time meeting place where they can gather and pitch a food tent, until 5pm on Friday, March 4," he said.
"During this time, they must disperse each evening by 9pm and sleep at private accommodation."
The group also agreed to reinstate the reserve as close as possible to its previous condition, not to camp on any public land unless it was approved for camping, not to stop others from using the domain, and to tidy up after themselves, including removing all signage, equipment and rubbish from both areas.
Mayor John Leggett said the council deliberately sought a peaceful resolution that would not require trespass notices or police involvement.
"The council has received many complaints from residents, unhappy that an unauthorised group had occupied a local public reserve that is normally used for recreation."
The protesters had taken a more responsible approach to managing their impact at Nelson Square since the initial excited influx by keeping the noise down and tidying up.
"I would like to thank the group representatives for doing the right thing and entering into a positive discussion with council."
Marlborough District Council chief executive Mark Wheeler, left, and mayor John Leggett. Photo: LDR / Chloe Ranford
However, a resident, who asked for his name to be withheld, told RNZ some protesters had urinated in his yard this week.
He wants them to leave peacefully, quietly, and soon.
"I think their toilets got overloaded and our guests on two occasions saw them coming in and pissing in our property outside their window," he said.
"Things like that are a problem."
While they mostly appeared to be behaving, he was frustrated with the noise.
"They're not really protesting, they're okay ... the generator's probably the biggest thing at the moment, just a constant drone from sort of first light till darkness."
At least one resident at the square had departed due to the noise, he said. The last time he remembered people camping en masse in Nelson Square was when people were rushing to get home before lockdown.
"But that was more of an emergency."
He was unsure how long they would remain there, but was glad they had not continued to make the level of noise like they had on Monday when they arrived.
"They just went round and round the square tooting horns until late at night. It was a real racket.
"When people rang you, you just couldn't hear them."
Other locals who asked not to be named said the protesters were well behaved but the noise from generators was frustrating.
The protesters had set up recycling bins at Nelson Square.
There were signs around the square asking protesters not to toot their horns and have respect for residents.
Residents estimated at least 40 vehicles, campervans, and tents were at the domain today.
According to the Ministry of Health's Covid-19 website, the vaccination rate for eligible people in Waitohi/Picton was 89.30 percent for second doses.
The national average is 94.50 percent.