Draft Freedom Camping Bylaw
In February 2025, we asked our communities what they thought about freedom camping in Tararua. You told us that freedom camping is part of the Kiwi way of life, and it's important that any changes protect that, not take it away.
We then developed a draft Freedom Camping Bylaw, with a focus on setting fair, simple rules that protect the places we all love. This isn’t about taking the ‘freedom’ out of freedom camping. It’s about making camping safer, and make sure everyone — locals, visitors, and businesses — can enjoy the benefits.
Looking for information on how early feedback helped shape the draft? Please see further down the page.
Consultation closed on 24 June 2025
Thank you to everyone who took the time to have their say, whether you made a submission, gave feedback online, or had a conversation with us in person. Your input helped shape a bylaw that reflects the values, needs, and expectations of the people who live, visit, and travel through our district.
During the four-week consultation period, we heard from a wide range of voices, including residents, freedom campers, local businesses, community groups, and tourism advocates.
A Public Hearing was held on 9 July where submitters who asked to speak presented their views directly to the Mayor and Councillors. Following this, Council staff prepared a report summarising all feedback received and recommending changes to the draft bylaw.
At the Council meeting on 30 July, Councillors reviewed the report, discussed the feedback, and made decisions on what changes to include. A final version of the bylaw reflecting these decisions was presented to Council in August and adopted.
A summary of public feedback and a copy of the final bylaw are available on the Council website, with printed copies available from Council offices. Details about when the bylaw will come into effect are also included in the published summary.
Summary of Feedback Received
Key Documents
Here’s how your feedback through our pre-engagement survey helped to shape what was proposed:
- You told us you value the ability to camp responsibly — we focused on keeping sites accessible while making expectations clear for all users.
- You raised concerns about bad behaviour from a minority — the bylaw proposed practical steps to manage those rare issues without punishing responsible campers.
- You highlighted the need for fairness — we proposed a bylaw that welcomes freedom camping while putting commonsense limits in place to protect public spaces.
Current List of Freedom Camping Sites
To view a list of Freedom Camping sites in the district, visit:
Frequently asked questions
A bylaw is a rule made by the council to keep our community safe, well-managed, and enjoyable for everyone. Bylaws cover things like parking, dog control, alcohol bans, and noise limits. They help protect public spaces, the environment, and ensure businesses and activities operate fairly.
Council did not have a bylaw that allowed us to effectively manage freedom camping in our district. This means, we were not able to do anything about nuisance behaviour or misuse of local freedom camping sites. It doesn’t happen often, but when it does it is not possible to manage without a local bylaw setting out rules and guidelines.
We asked the community for feedback on proposed rules in the Draft Freedom Camping Bylaw, including whether freedom camping should be prohibited in 50km/h and 70km/h speed zones, cemeteries, and playgrounds; whether time limits should apply to freedom camping in certain areas (like a 5-night limit over 30 days, or stricter limits depending on vehicle type); and whether additional restrictions or prohibitions should be considered under the Freedom Camping Act.
Ultimately, we wanted to know if these proposals struck the right balance between welcoming visitors and protecting our local spaces.
With freedom camping increasing in the district, a bylaw is required to:
- Keep camping safe and respectful for everyone.
- Protect public spaces from misuse.
- Balance the needs of campers, residents, and businesses.
- Ensure Council can effectively look after local freedom camping areas, now and in the future.
The proposed bylaw will:
- Provide a clear list of locations where freedom camping is allowed.
- Set rules for responsible camping at these locations - including waste disposal, noise, and vehicle standards.
- Help protect and preserve our camping areas.
- Ensure compliance with the Freedom Camping Act 2011.
- Gather feedback: Consult with key stakeholders to help Council decide whether to proceed.
- Council decision: Council considers stakeholder feedback and determines whether or not to proceed. Council decided at its meeting on 30 April 2025 to proceed with developing a Bylaw.
- Watch Meeting: https://www.youtube.com/live/v3e9fXoEblw?si=gNBOx8cQSOGgvRfA (discussion on this matter commences at 1:48:50).
- Public consultation: The draft Bylaw is shared with the public for feedback and opportunities to advocate for changes to what is being proposed.
- Deliberation and decision: Council consider the proposed Bylaw and if acceptable, it is adopted.
The Freedom Camping Transitional Fund made available through the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment covers developing the bylaw and implementation (if adopted).
Implementation includes new signage for Council-owned sites; sites managed by other agencies (e.g., Domain Boards); some privately owned sites (with owner consent).