Dear Mr Soar,

I am writing to acknowledge receipt of your official information request dated 15 February 2022 asking for information relating to the Freedom Camping Bylaw.

We received your request on 15 February 2022. We will endeavour to respond to your request as soon as possible and in any event no later than 15 March 2022, being 20 working days after the day your request was received. If we are unable to respond to your request by then, we will notify you of an extension of that timeframe.

If you have any queries, please feel free to contact me on (06) 349 0001 or by return email. If any additional factors come to light which are relevant to your request, please do not hesitate to contact me so that these can be taken into account.

Kind regards

Hayley Fitzgerald

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Dear Mr Soar,

 

I refer to your official information request dated 15 February in relation
to freedom camping bylaws.

 

The information you have requested is as follows.

 

Since the new freedom camping bylaws came into force:

 

1. How are the bylaws being enforced?

Freedom camping is being actively monitored, on a daily basis. We are
taking an advocacy approach in the first instance. Fines are used as a
last resort. There are also a number of people who are homeless and
utilising freedom camping sites. We are actively monitoring their stays
and working with them alongside housing services to support them.

 

2. How often are they enforced? 

The vast majority of ‘freedom campers’ are not breaching the rules and are
short stay visitors and enforcement is not required.

 

3. How many people / camps have been moved on for breaching the new
bylaws?

1 camper has been moved on for bylaw breach. 1 homeless person has been
moved on for anti-social behaviour.

 

4. Do camper vans need to be registered and warranted to occupy a lawful
freedom camping spot?

There are no freedom-camping-specific parking spaces as of yet, only
regular parks. As a result, regular parking rules apply.

 

5. Can caravans / camper vans be left longer than 4 nights if the people
leave leaving the van behind?

Under the rules, yes – if a vehicle is not being camped in then it’s just
parked, so again regular parking rules apply.

 

6. How many checks made to date to ensure anyone moved on did not return
within the minimum prescribed period in the bylaw?

See answer to Q1.

 

7. How many people had illegally returned within the minimum non return
period after being moved along?

1 camper.

 

You have the right to seek an investigation and review by the Ombudsman of
this decision. Information about how to make a complaint is available at
[1]www.ombudsman.parliament.nz or freephone 0800 802 602.

 

If you wish to discuss this decision with us, please feel free to contact
me on 06 349 0001 or by return email.

 

 

Yours sincerely

 

 

Hayley Fitzgerald

 

On behalf of

Rob Goldsbury

General Counsel

 

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