What is a Freedom Camper?
We have all seen the headlines blaming freedom campers
for littering etc.
But what exactly is Freedom Camping or
a Freedom Camper?
In 2011, the National Government passed
Legislation called the “Freedom Camping Act 2011” (The
Act). Part of that legislation's work was to enable Freedom
Camping anywhere generally on public land unless specially
prohibited. It first had to define what it meant to Freedom
Camp and who was a Freedom Camper;
Meaning of freedom
camp
(1)In this Act, freedom camp means to camp (other than at a camping ground) within 200 m of a motor vehicle accessible area or the mean low-water springs line of any sea or harbour, or on or within 200 m of a formed road or a Great Walks Track, using 1 or more of the following:
(a)a
tent or other temporary structure
(b)a caravan
(c)a
car, campervan, housetruck, or other motor vehicle.
There
are several exemptions relating to short term parking, and
driver fatigue.
The mode of camping includes everything
including cars, tents and other temporary structures. (I can
hear you now, - isn’t Freedom camping only about
Motor-homes & Caravans?).
The location where camping happens, (apart for rules for DOC land and others), is within 200 metres of a “Motor Vehicle Accessible Area”, while a formed road is mentioned - “…or on or within 200m of a formed road..” that is not a required element (Note “or”) - let that sink in.
So apart for the few exemptions, anywhere that can be accessed by Motorbike is an area defined for Freedom Camping under the Act, so Hunters who often access their camp sites by Motor-vehicle, people who do river excursions and cycle touring, when they bed down for the night in a Tent within 200 metres of a Motor Vehicle accessible area. Hunters are one major group, who were wrongly told the “Act” did not apply to them.
For too long now, Councils have only recognized Motor-homes and Caravans as a mode of camping. When Councils have been open to catering for tents in their bylaws, they have been placed in a difficult position due to the Motor-home clubs and industry representative organizations who claim that only certified self contained campers are responsible. That is incorrect and how the facilities within a camping vehicle with no education, can ever make a camper responsible defies belief.
Responsible Campers Association Inc recently
stated; “While Certified Self Containment can assist a
camper to be responsible, it does not make them responsible.
Any camper still needs to make the personal decision to be
responsible”.