If you live in Auckland and you have an opinion on freedom camping in the region, the Auckland Council wants to know.
From the 27th of October to the 5th December, the council will be looking for feedback on a proposed bylaw that will limit freedom camping in 22 areas, and ban camping completely in 45 areas.
A similar bylaw was released in public for review in 2018, however, the new bylaw features two significant changes in response to feedback.
First, reserve lands have been exempted. This means that camping on Auckland reserves will continue to be controlled under Auckland’s Reserves Act 1977, which says that all camping is forbidden without a specific permit.
The other change is that the general rules will be applicable to all council-controlled land and roadsides that aren’t prohibitive or restricted.
Freedom Camping Bylaw Panel chair councilor Linda Cooper said Auckland was quite the popular place for freedom camping, and even though many tried to take responsibility, consequences were still a source of concern.
“In Auckland, these impacts are exacerbated by the region’s growth and intensification, which puts extra pressure on shared spaces like parks, beaches, and community facilities,” Cooper explained.
