A scuppered bylaw means Whangarei's freedom campers can enjoy one last unregulated hurrah this summer.
Yes, there may technically be rules against the practice of parking up for the night and dossing down, but Whangarei District Council was toothless when it came to moving people on.
While WDC's website said people sleeping in tents or cars were not able to freedom camp in the district - there was practical no way of enforcing this after the proposed Freedom Camping Bylaw fell over in council chambers.
Councillors decided they did not want to proceed with the creation of a specific freedom camping bylaw at this time, after community feedback on the draft suggested that a proposed outright ban on "uncontained" campers - those sleeping in tents and cars without toilets - might be too harsh.
The council was back at square one with the Proposed Freedom Camping Bylaw and it would not be in place this summer.