A new draft bylaw on freedom camping is one step closer to public consultation, after approval from the Regulatory Committee today.
It will now be presented to the Governing Body on 22 November, and if approved, will go out for public consultation in December.
The draft bylaw has been developed under the Freedom Camping Act 2011. Under this Act, the council can only restrict or prohibit the activity at a site if it has robust evidence to do so.
“A lot of work has gone into the draft bylaw and it’s pleasing to get it through the next stage of the process today," says Councillor Linda Cooper, chair of the Regulatory Committee.
“The new bylaw intends to define the number of suitable sites for freedom camping, minimise the potential negative impacts and make the rules simple and consistent across the region.”
The draft bylaw includes 422 council-controlled sites where freedom camping is proposed to be prohibited or restricted across the Auckland region.
Enforcement
A bylaw under the Freedom Camping Act will mean enforcement officers can issue a $200 infringement fine to anyone who breaches a prohibition or restriction.
Auckland Council’s Regulatory Compliance unit uses a graduated enforcement approach. This means they will help people to comply with the rules in the first instance by giving information and advice on the regulations.
Next steps
The draft bylaw will now be presented to the Governing Body on 22 November, where a decision will be made on whether it goes out for public consultation in early December.
Read the full report and site-specific information here.
