Freedom Camping Bylaw 2023

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The Freedom Camping Bylaw was adopted by Horowhenua District Council on 13 December 2023 and is effective from 14 December 2023. This bylaw applies to the whole Horowhenua District.

This bylaw replaces the Horowhenua District Council Open Spaces Policy regarding camping in the district.

Horowhenua District Council Freedom Camping Bylaw 2023(PDF, 4MB)

Purpose

The Freedom Camping Bylaw aims to regulate and manage camping on land controlled and managed by Horowhenua District Council to:

  • protect areas;
  • protect the health and safety of people who may visit areas, including beaches, dunes and rivers;
  • maintain appropriate public access to areas;
  • provide transparency for those who want to camp in public places; and
  • support a positive experience for both campers and residents.

Key features

  • The bylaw specifies areas where freedom camping is allowed, restricted or prohibited.
  • It outlines the rules for areas where freedom camping is restricted, so that while freedom camping in these areas is encouraged, the areas, access to the areas, and the health and safety of visitors are protected.

Scope

This bylaw applies only to public places owned or controlled by Council that aren't managed as camping grounds. It doesn't apply to land owned or controlled by other organisations, such as the Department of Conservation, or private property.

Bylaw review

Council will evaluate how well this bylaw is working after 12 months and make any necessary changes. After that, it will review the bylaw every three years, unless a new bylaw replaces it.

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