Community views to be heard on proposed freedom camping bylaw
Published on 28 September 2021
Whanganui District Council’s Policy and Bylaw Committee will discuss the council’s proposed freedom camping bylaw this Wednesday, 29 September 2021 and with high public interest, several submissions from the community are to be heard.
The hearing follows public consultation that closed on 5 September and drew 150 submissions. From these, 14 people have said they wish to speak to their submission. As numbers allowed into the council chamber are limited under Alert Level 2 protocols, the wider public are encouraged to watch the hearing on the council’s livestream via their website.
The proposed bylaw limits how long freedom campers can stay at any one site to no more than two nights per calendar month. It also restricts the number of freedom camping spots at sites.
The council’s group manager corporate, Stephanie Macdonald-Rose, says “The council believes that freedom camping is generally a positive activity that attracts visitors to our district. However, our priority is to listen to the needs and concerns of the community and to be responsive to those concerns.
“We have heard a number of complaints from the community about freedom camping. We’ve had no regulations in place to date and the bylaw doesn’t propose to heavily restrict freedom camping as councils in others parts of Aotearoa New Zealand have done.”
Under the Freedom Camping Act 2011, the council can create a bylaw to regulate freedom camping but cannot ban it outright.
“The council wants everyone in the Whanganui community, as well as visitors, to be able to access and enjoy our public places, and to protect those places so that we can all continue to take pride in them,” Stephanie Macdonald-Rose says.
“We anticipate that the bylaw will help to reduce community concerns around the length of time people stay and the amount of waste they build up.”
One of the sites included in the proposed by-law is the Anzac Parade freedom camping site. During the recent COVID-19 lockdown the council has worked with local social service providers and central government agencies to help find support for people who are experiencing homelessness.
“We understand the issue of homelessness is causing concern across our community.
“It’s really important to be clear that while people staying at sites proposed for regulation under the bylaw may include people experiencing homelessness, this is a complex issue and the freedom camping bylaw will not resolve issues stemming from homelessness,” Stephanie Macdonald-Rose says.
The council’s community wellbeing manager, Lauren Tamehana, says, “The council would like everyone in our district to have healthy, safe and secure housing. Where homelessness is identified, we work with key agencies such as the Ministry of Social Development, to connect people with services that could help them.”
The Policy and Bylaw Committee is responsible for hearing bylaw submissions on behalf of the council. If the hearing on 29 September continues into a second session, a reserve date of Wednesday, 6 October 2021 has been set.
The hearing on Wednesday, 29 September will be livestreamed via Whanganui District Council’s website.
To read the council's proposed freedom camping bylaw, please click here.