Napier’s freedom camping shake-up should include a site for homeless: Advocacy group

The Pump Track site off Marine Parade is the busiest freedom camping site in Napier. Photo / NZME

A shake-up to Napier’s freedom camping rules should see a designated site made available for the homeless to stay, a charitable trust has recommended.

Napier City Council is reviewing its freedom camping rules and has received over 250 submissions for its draft Napier Freedom Camping Bylaw.

If adopted, that draft bylaw will replace the council’s existing freedom camping bylaw, which has not been updated since 2017.

Council papers stated “issues of homelessness require separate policy frameworks” and “the bylaw does not impact individuals experiencing homelessness”.

However, Whatever It Takes Trust (WITT), based in Napier, stated in its submission to the council that people experiencing homelessness would be impacted by the proposed changes.

“Addressing homelessness within the context of the Freedom Camping Bylaw review is not only compassionate but necessary,” former WITT general manager Phil Ross wrote in his submission.

Ross has since moved on from WITT but made the submission while in the general manager role of the charitable trust.

Ross recommended the council “temporarily assign” one of the freedom camping sites under review to be used by those experiencing homelessness.

“The site could require a registration process for the MSD Housing Register and regular reviews to stay there.”

In short, the draft bylaw proposes permanently removing two of the city’s four designated freedom camping sites, and adding a handful of freedom camping parking spots at another site in response, with the preferred location being the National Aquarium carpark.

The bylaw also proposes a ban on non-self-contained vehicles from using freedom camping sites in Napier.

A non-self-contained vehicle is a vehicle without a fixed toilet.

Foreshore Reserve (just south of Marine Parade) is the only site where you can currently freedom camp with a non-self-contained vehicle, and it is one of the two sites on the chopping block.

The other site proposed to be axed is Westshore Beach Reserve, although that site has been temporarily closed since 2021 due to complaints.

The sites which will remain open for self-contained vehicles include the Napier Pump Track carpark off Marine Parade, which is Napier’s busiest site, and the Perfume Point site at Ahuriri.

“72% of submitters support the proposal to remove non-self-contained vehicles from the bylaw,” council papers stated.

Napier City Council will meet next Monday and decide whether to adopt its draft Napier Freedom Camping Bylaw, which could be made operational later in the year.