Committee recommends council adopt freedom camping bylaw
Published on 30 September 2021
Whanganui District Council’s Policy and Bylaw Committee heard public submissions on its proposed freedom camping bylaw on Wednesday, 29 September 2021 and has voted that the council should adopt the bylaw.
The freedom camping bylaw limits how long freedom campers can stay at any one site to no more than four nights in a four-week period. The bylaw also restricts the number of freedom camping spots at sites and includes buffer zones – where camping is not allowed – around freedom camping sites. As part of their deliberations, the committee decided to prohibit freedom camping from Blyth Street and Pukenamu Drive in order to protect these important Whanganui locations.
The council’s group manager corporate, Stephanie Macdonald-Rose, says that while the council wants primarily to encourage visitors to make use of the excellent commercial campgrounds in the district, the bylaw however introduces regulation where Whanganui has had none to date.
“The bylaw doesn’t propose to severely restrict freedom camping in the same way councils in others parts of the country have done, as we are not seeing the same volume of campers visiting the Whanganui district,” Stephanie Macdonald-Rose says.
Under the Freedom Camping Act 2011, Whanganui District Council cannot place a blanket ban on freedom camping but it can create a bylaw to regulate it.
“The council’s aim in adopting this bylaw will be to protect our public places and access to those places for everyone in our community. We want to take a balanced approach and it’s important that visitors to our district can access and enjoy those places as well,” Stephanie Macdonald-Rose says.
“The council hopes that the bylaw will help to reduce the community concerns that we have heard, particularly about the potential general untidiness and litter that may be associated with freedom camping, as it will allow campers less time at any one site to spread out.”
The council received 150 submissions during the public consultation period, which closed on 5 September 2021. On Wednesday, 29 September the committee heard submissions from 14 people. These covered a range of views on the issue, including those of commercial campgrounds.
One of the sites identified for regulation is the Anzac Parade freedom camping site. There has been community concern on the issue of homelessness recently and Safer Whanganui (a joint council and community group providing leadership on public safety and wellbeing) also made a submission.
The council’s community wellbeing manager, and council officer on Safer Whanganui, Lauren Tamehana, says, “Where homelessness is identified, the council is working with key agencies to connect people with agencies that could help them, including the Ministry of Social Development.”
In addition to the freedom camping bylaw and in response to concerns surrounding homelessness, the council will work with Safer Whanganui to develop guidance for council staff to ensure homeless people are not adversely affected by the administration of the bylaw.
Stephanie Macdonald-Rose says, “Homelessness is a complex issue, and while we recognise that the community has concerns, the freedom camping bylaw will not resolve issues stemming from homelessness.”