Queenstown Lakes District Council (QLDC) has adopted the Freedom Camping Bylaw 2025 / Ture ā-Rohe mō te Noho Puni Korehere 2025, strengthening its ability to manage freedom camping activities across the district and ensure areas remain safe, protected and accessible to everyone.

Council approved the new bylaw at yesterday’s public meeting, to come into effect on 1 December 2025.

While the Freedom Camping Act 2011 permits freedom camping by default on most council land in Aotearoa New Zealand, councils can create bylaws with rules to prohibit or restrict freedom camping to specific areas within a district. This does not include reserve land which is managed under the Reserves Act 1977.

However, the Freedom Camping Act strictly limits the scope for establishing freedom camping bylaws. Local authority areas can only be designated as restricted (meaning freedom camping is allowed subject to conditions) or prohibited (meaning freedom camping is not allowed) if it addresses one or more of the following matters:

• To protect the area

• To protect the health and safety of people who may visit the area

• To protect access to the area.

This means that other considerations outside the area being regulated are excluded. These exclusions include impacts (e.g. amenity and economic concerns) on private property and other land not managed or controlled by QLDC.

These factors contribute to a complex situation, especially when tourism is an important part of the local economy. The community have expressed concerns about freedom camping through the submissions. These concerns have been acknowledged through the bylaw development process and arise alongside reports of decreasing resident sentiment regarding tourism[1].

383 submissions were received and considered by a hearing panel made up of councillors. Amendments were made to the draft bylaw following feedback from submitters, including to definitions, conditions, available parking areas and spaces.

Now adopted, the new bylaw allows freedom camping in fifteen specified restricted areas, subject to specific conditions.

The bylaw also allows freedom camping on sections of rural roads, subject to conditions including how close to the road a freedom camper can park their vehicle.

Freedom camping will be prohibited on most roads located within the district’s built-up urban areas including residential, town centre, commercial, and other business areas, to protect health and safety on and access to these roads and the parking spaces on them for the whole community. The Freedom Camping Bylaw does not manage freedom camping on private roads and does not provide for freedom camping on any private land.

QLDC Community Services General Manager Ken Bailey says the new bylaw will address a range of perceived problems associated with freedom camping in the district. “Queenstown Lakes is the most popular place for overnight free camping in New Zealand, and this has led to a range of adverse impacts on land controlled and/or managed by Queenstown Lakes District Council,” he says. “Given the context, it is difficult for the new bylaw to balance community concerns, with those who seek opportunities for freedom camping, and the limitations set out in the Freedom Camping Act 2011.”

QLDC officers are now focused on developing a comprehensive communications and education programme ahead of the 2025/26 summer period to raise awareness of the new bylaw and where and how freedom camping will be permitted across the district.

Separate to the bylaw decision, Council approved the introduction of camping conditions at the Luggate Red Bridge Reserve at yesterday’s meeting. Council reserves are not included in the Freedom Camping Bylaw 2025 and camping on reserves is managed under the Reserves Act 1977. The new conditions will improve the management of freedom camping at the Luggate Red Bridge Reserve, allowing visitors and the community to enjoy this space.

More information about the Freedom Camping Bylaw 2025 and its implementation, including a copy of the final bylaw and key details, can be found at www.qldc.govt.nz/bylaws or by contacting your local Council office.

Footnote:

1. Destination Queenstown and Lake Wānaka Tourism, Views on Tourism Research (Angus & Associates). N = 525 Queenstown Lakes.

FURTHER INFORMATION

15 Restricted Areas Where Freedom Camping is Allowed

The fifteen restricted areas where freedom camping is allowed, subject to a set of conditions specified for each area are:

• Boundary Street Carpark, Queenstown
• Gorge Road Carpark, Queenstown
• Industrial Place Carpark, Queenstown
• Lakeview Carpark, Queenstown
• Gray Street Carpark, Frankton
• Queenstown Events Centre Carpark, Frankton
• Howards Drive Carpark, Lake Hayes
• Hansen Place Carpark, Arrowtown
• Gibbston Highway/SH6 Carpark, Gibbston
• Glenorchy Domain Carpark, Glenorchy
• Kingston Road/SH6 Carpark
• Wānaka Recreation Centre Carpark, Wānaka
• Beacon Point Road Carpark, Wānaka
• Allenby Place Carpark, Wānaka
• Camp Hill Road Carpark, Hāwea

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