Feedback sought on draft freedom camping bylaw
It is no secret that the district is a prime spot for freedom campers, but over the last few years the number of visitors taking part in this has increased.
According to the council, between 2008 and 2018 the estimated number of international visitors engaging in freedom camping in New Zealand rose from 10,000 to 123,000.
As a result, the council has taken steps to draft a bylaw that allows for better management of freedom camping activities across the whole region.
The Freedom Camping Act 2011 permits freedom camping by default on most council land in New Zealand.
While the Act prevents councils from prohibiting freedom camping across all their land, they can create bylaws with rules to manage the activity's impacts in order to protect areas
Until now the QLDC has not had a bylaw in place but a draft freedom camping bylaw has now been completed.
It was informed by a robust technical assessment that identified and examined which areas of the district needed to be protected.
It includes provisions to manage freedom camping on land controlled or managed by the QLDC to protect the area, access to the area, or the health and safety of visitors.
In a statement, the council said freedom camping would be allowed in certain areas but would be subject to specific conditions.
Limitations would include time restrictions, the use of specified parking spaces, leaving no waste, lighting no fires, and a requirement for vehicles to be certified as self-contained with a toilet and grey-water facilities.
A key proposal would include banning freedom camping on most roads including any on-road vehicle parking spaces within the district's urban areas.
The bylaw would allow freedom camping with restrictions in 158 carparking spaces across 15 specified areas and on most rural roads subject to restrictions such as how close to the road a freedom camper can park themselves.
The draft bylaw does not propose to regulate freedom camping on any reserve land or privately owned land and camping on reserves will continue to be administered under the Reserves Act 1977.
The full draft has been made public on the QLDC's Let's Talk engagement platform and those interested in the proposals are encouraged to express their thoughts.
Two drop-in sessions were held on Monday and Tuesday this week in Frankton and Wānaka and an online webinar is set to take place at noon on Monday, July 28.
The results of the consultation will be considered by a hearing panel made up of councillors and will help to inform any changes to the draft bylaw before it is adopted. It is expected to be finalised and in place before summer.
— APL
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Otago Daily Times
6 days ago
- Otago Daily Times
Coming up trips
REPORT: APL / PHOTO: SUPPLIED AJ Hackett Bungy New Zealand expects to launch its new three-person swing — the first in the South Island — at the Kawarau Bridge, near Queenstown, in September. A steel structure the Kawarau Swing will sit on, under the viewing deck, was lifted into place last week. When it opens, the new tourism attraction will be adapted for single, tandem or three-person rides, swinging people up to 43m high across the Kawarau River before winching them back to the platform on the southern bank of the Kawarau Gorge.
Otago Daily Times
7 days ago
- Otago Daily Times
Feedback sought on draft freedom camping bylaw
Community feedback is being sought as the Queenstown Lakes District Council finalises a draft bylaw which will allow freedom camping only under specific restrictions. It is no secret that the district is a prime spot for freedom campers, but over the last few years the number of visitors taking part in this has increased. According to the council, between 2008 and 2018 the estimated number of international visitors engaging in freedom camping in New Zealand rose from 10,000 to 123,000. As a result, the council has taken steps to draft a bylaw that allows for better management of freedom camping activities across the whole region. The Freedom Camping Act 2011 permits freedom camping by default on most council land in New Zealand. While the Act prevents councils from prohibiting freedom camping across all their land, they can create bylaws with rules to manage the activity's impacts in order to protect areas Until now the QLDC has not had a bylaw in place but a draft freedom camping bylaw has now been completed. It was informed by a robust technical assessment that identified and examined which areas of the district needed to be protected. It includes provisions to manage freedom camping on land controlled or managed by the QLDC to protect the area, access to the area, or the health and safety of visitors. In a statement, the council said freedom camping would be allowed in certain areas but would be subject to specific conditions. Limitations would include time restrictions, the use of specified parking spaces, leaving no waste, lighting no fires, and a requirement for vehicles to be certified as self-contained with a toilet and grey-water facilities. A key proposal would include banning freedom camping on most roads including any on-road vehicle parking spaces within the district's urban areas. The bylaw would allow freedom camping with restrictions in 158 carparking spaces across 15 specified areas and on most rural roads subject to restrictions such as how close to the road a freedom camper can park themselves. The draft bylaw does not propose to regulate freedom camping on any reserve land or privately owned land and camping on reserves will continue to be administered under the Reserves Act 1977. The full draft has been made public on the QLDC's Let's Talk engagement platform and those interested in the proposals are encouraged to express their thoughts. Two drop-in sessions were held on Monday and Tuesday this week in Frankton and Wānaka and an online webinar is set to take place at noon on Monday, July 28. The results of the consultation will be considered by a hearing panel made up of councillors and will help to inform any changes to the draft bylaw before it is adopted. It is expected to be finalised and in place before summer. — APL
Scoop
30-06-2025
- Scoop
Egis Undertakes Wānaka Airport Community Engagement
The Egis team hosted the in-person community drop-in sessions in Wānaka over the weekend, on Friday 27 June and Saturday 28 July. Both sessions were well-attended, with an engaged local community participating and contributing actively. The interactive sessions allowed the community to have their say on the issues that mattered most to them, such as feedback on travel, community lifestyle values, and their vision and preferred outcomes for the regional airport. Wānaka Airport, in New Zealand's Otago region, is owned by Queenstown Lakes District Council (QLDC) and operated by Queenstown Airport Corporation (QAC) under a management services agreement. In July 2024 QLDC signalled its intent to develop a long-term plan for the Wānaka Airport and engaged Egis to undertake the Wānaka Airport future review. Queenstown Lakes District Council Councillor Cody Tucker, who attended the session on Friday, commented: «Great job on the drop-in session. The interactive format made it fun and engaging, almost like a Wānaka Airport-themed board game creatively plastered with stickers and comments. » For community members who were unable to attend the drop-in sessions, we encourage you to share your feedback online. Submissions are open until Tuesday 15 July 2025, at Wānaka Upper Clutha Community Board Chair, Simon Telfer, reinforced this message to submit community feedback by saying: «It's important for everyone to go online and influence the future of Wānaka Airport. There have been many ideas already, including supporting general aviation, increasing scheduled flights, allowing broader commercial activity, and better preparing for natural disaster resilience. What are your thoughts? I'd love to see input from younger voices also, as this planning will benefit both current and future generations. » Following the first round of engagement, Egis will develop a series of potential future scenarios for Wānaka Airport. A second round of engagement will take place in August 2025, allowing the community to review and provide feedback on these scenarios. This will include additional in-person drop-in sessions in Wānaka, as well as an option to share feedback online. Egis recognises the value of community feedback and how it positively contributes to the successful delivery of our projects.
