Monday 13 July, 2015

Freedom camping bylaw proposed

Christchurch City Council's proposed new Freedom Camping Bylaw is available on the Council's website.

The proposed new Freedom Camping Bylaw will be presented to the Council's Strategy and Finance Committee on Thursday 16 July. The agenda for this meeting, which includes the bylaw, is now online.

Council staff developed the bylaw over the past three months while considering input from people or agencies who may be affected. The public will get a chance to comment on the bylaw and suggest changes once the Council approves it for consultation. This is expected to be near the end of August.

The proposed bylaw details areas where freedom camping would be prohibited, restricted to certified self-contained vehicles (those with on-board wastewater facilities), allowed for non-self-contained or self-contained vehicles for limited periods of time or overnight only, and areas with no restrictions.

Maps showing the specific prohibited and restricted areas are included in the proposed bylaw.

Some residents have raised concerns about freedom campers not using toilet facilities or not properly disposing of wastewater or rubbish, as well as general concern about people living in vehicles close to residential areas. In addition, there has been an increase in freedom camping throughout Christchurch over the past summer season.

"In the past, the Council addressed complaints as they arose. The proposed bylaw will give us additional tools to help manage freedom camping," says Acting Strategic Policy Unit Manager Claire Bryant.

"It is designed to protect the health and safety of people who visit the city and protect the environment so everyone can enjoy it," she says.

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