12 May 2016

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Christchurch City Council will consider whether amendments to the restrictions in the Freedom Camping Bylaw 2015 around non-self-contained freedom camping should be made across Christchurch and Banks Peninsula.

Originally scheduled for 2017/18, the Council is bringing forward a full review of the Bylaw, and aims to have it implemented by 1 May 2017. A partial review of non-self-contained freedom camping will be conducted this year, with the aim of having any amendments in place by the start of the 2016 summer season, on 1 December 2016.

A temporary ban on freedom camping was put in place in March 2016 after some of the designated non-self-contained sites became unsafe for people and the local environment. Mayor Lianne Dalziel says the review will allow the Council to address some of the issues that prompted the ban.

"The health and wellbeing of residents and freedom campers is important to the Council," Mayor Dalziel says.

"We're bringing the bylaw review forward so that we can address the community, facility and environmental issues caused by the high volume of non-self-contained freedom campers we saw over Summer 2015/16. Both the partial and full reviews will use the Special Consultative Procedure to give the whole community a chance to be involved."

The full bylaw review will incorporate:

  • Ensuring feasibility of enforcement and recovery of infringement fees
  • Investigating self-contained certification requirements in coordination with other relevant agencies
  • Basing decisions on suitability of an area for freedom camping, based on evidence which has been tested against local knowledge
  • Investigation of capacity and suitability of infrastructure and facilities in relation to freedom camping.

"Councillors have requested that staff work with other councils and Local Government New Zealand to seek a full government review of the Freedom Camping Act," Mayor Dalziel says.

"In light of our own recent experiences, aligning things with other authorities would help ensure more consistency of regulation and enforcement between local authority-controlled areas and crown land, which would make life a lot easier for us and for campers."

At present, all five of the Council's non-self-contained restricted freedom camping sites are temporarily closed. The temporary closures in place since March prohibit any form of freedom camping at the non-self-contained restricted freedom camping areas at French Farm, Wainui, Addington Park car park, Lower Styx River and Windsport Park. The self-contained site at French Farm is also closed, however, the beach and reserve have since been re-opened.

The ban is expected to end 31 May 2016, although Councillors have requested that Council Chief Executive Dr Karleen Edwards extend the ban to May 2017, to allow time for the review to be completed.

Restricted freedom camping in self-contained vehicles remains in place for limited stays inside the city's urban boundaries – including urban and other areas on Banks Peninsula – in accordance with the Bylaw introduced last year.