Northern Advocate
  • Northern Advocate home
  • Latest news
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Sport
  • Property
  • Video
  • Death notices
  • Classifieds

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • On The Up
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
  • Sport
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Residential property listings

Locations

  • Far North
  • Kaitaia
  • Kaikohe
  • Bay of Islands
  • Whangārei
  • Kaipara
  • Mangawhai
  • Dargaville

Media

  • Video
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-Editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

Weather

  • Kaitaia
  • Whangārei
  • Dargaville

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Northern Advocate

Motor Caravan Association boss backs freedom camping bylaw

Danica MacLean
By Danica MacLean
Multimedia Journalist, Newstalk ZB·NZ Herald·
14 Jul, 2017 01:09 AM2 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

Whangarei's freedom camping bylaw, which covers spots such as Te Matau A Pohe bridge carpark, above, has been hailed as leading the way.

Whangarei's freedom camping bylaw, which covers spots such as Te Matau A Pohe bridge carpark, above, has been hailed as leading the way.

A bylaw proposed to regulate freedom camping in the Whangarei district could show the way for other districts, according to the NZ Motor Caravan Association boss.

Whangarei District Council's Camping in Public Places bylaw is open for submissions. It proposes a list of restricted sites where camping is limited to designated sites or marked parking spaces.

Under the bylaw nine areas will be open to all types of camping, within 50m of a public toilet.

Read more: Freedom camping bylaw open for submissions

New Zealand Motor Caravan Association chief executive Bruce Lochore believed the council had gone about the latest bylaw "very well".

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Campers in non self-contained vehicles will be permitted in 20 areas, also within 50m of a public toilet. At all of these sites, campers will be able to stay for only one night.

A list of 28 prohibited sites is also included in the bylaw. For any other council land not specified, camping is permitted for three nights in a self-contained vehicle.

Last year, the council scrapped a proposed freedom camping bylaw which only allowed for self-contained units, after public feedback.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"I think they have made a really good fist of trying to cater for all types of freedom camping," Mr Lochore said.

He said other regions have attempted to include non self-contained units in their regulations but it had backfired because areas had been overwhelmed with visitors.

He said allowing non self-contained campers at 20 sites was a strong point.

"I'm hopeful if it works, it could be a blueprint for the rest of the country."

Mr Lochore said the association submitted on last year's bylaw and will be submitting again on this one. He said it will be in support, but will be suggesting a few adjustments.
One of those is the length of stay being extended from one night to two or three.

Mr Lochore said the council would be "limiting themselves" to some of the advantages of having freedom campers in town - such as campers spending money in local shops - if stays are limited to one night.

He wanted to see Far North District Council adopt a similar approach so there was consistency across the North.

Save

    Share this article

Latest from Northern Advocate

Northern Advocate

'End my suffering': Mum's grief after toddler's fall from moving ute

Northern Advocate

News in brief: 64 sika deer culled in Russell Forest deer eradication project

Northern Advocate

'You should know better': Grandmother jailed for trying to derail son's family violence case


Sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Northern Advocate

'End my suffering': Mum's grief after toddler's fall from moving ute
Northern Advocate

'End my suffering': Mum's grief after toddler's fall from moving ute

Northland mum Tyla Simona wants her son’s death to make a difference.

15 Jul 05:00 PM
News in brief: 64 sika deer culled in Russell Forest deer eradication project
Northern Advocate

News in brief: 64 sika deer culled in Russell Forest deer eradication project

15 Jul 03:00 PM
'You should know better': Grandmother jailed for trying to derail son's family violence case
Northern Advocate

'You should know better': Grandmother jailed for trying to derail son's family violence case

15 Jul 06:00 AM


Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky
Sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

06 Jul 09:47 PM
NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • The Northern Advocate e-edition
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Subscribe to the Northern Advocate
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The Northern Advocate
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP