We’re taking a fresh look at our Freedom Camping Bylaw to make sure it’s still working well for everyone. This review covers everything from underused spots to overcrowded areas, the impact on our environment, and community feedback on current camping rules. Let us know what you think!
Thank you for sharing your views on Napier City's Freedom Camping Bylaw 2024. Council hearings are scheduled for February 2025, and a decision will be made after careful consideration of your feedback.
The Freedom Camping Bylaw regulates where and how people can camp on public land in Napier. It ensures that freedom camping does not harm the environment, interfere with public access, or cause public safety concerns. The bylaw currently outlines designated camping areas, restrictions on vehicle types, and rules for waste disposal, noise, and length of stay.
Napier City Council is reviewing the Freedom Camping Bylaw to ensure it remains effective in managing freedom camping activities. The review will address issues such as underutilised areas, overcrowding, environmental impacts, and community feedback about current camping regulations.
As part of the Freedom Camping Bylaw review, three options were considered:
Continue with the Current Bylaw This option would retain the four existing freedom camping sites: Pump Track, Perfume Point, Westshore, and Foreshore. Westshore, currently closed temporarily, would be reopened, and Foreshore would be limited to self-contained vehicles only, keeping the bylaw structure as is.
Under this option, Westshore and Foreshore—identified as lower-ranked sites due to suitability and public use—would be closed to freedom camping.
This option involves closing the Westshore and Foreshore sites due to lower suitability, while introducing a new, higher-ranked site(s) from the site assessment, such as the National Aquarium Carpark or other suitable locations.
We are recommending Option 3 in the draft bylaw, with the following updates:
You can find out more about our proposal in the Statement of Proposal.
You can also read the draft bylaw here.
Napier prides itself on being a tourist town and one of Council’s five strategic objectives, adopted in 2023, is for Napier to be a ‘great visitor destination’. Freedom camping is welcome in parts of the city through the current Freedom Camping Bylaw.
The purpose of the Bylaw is to control freedom camping in Napier in order to:
An existing bylaw must be reviewed every ten years. Napier’s current Bylaw was last reviewed in 2017. You can view it here.
The 2024 Bylaw review is an opportunity to ensure the bylaw is still effective and to consider recent changes under the Self-contained Motor Vehicles Legislation Act 2023. The review will also reassess the temporary closure of the Westshore Beach Reserve site, which was closed in 2021 due to community concerns.
Napier has three designated freedom camping sites with a total of 57 spaces:
Westshore Beach Reserve, which has four spaces, is currently closed.
The Westshore site was temporarily closed in 2021 due to complaints from nearby residents and ongoing compliance issues. A decision about whether to close it permanently will be part of this bylaw review process.
Any decision to close an existing freedom camping site or establish a new one will only be made after consulting with the community. During the consultation process, the Council will gather and review all submissions, and those who wish to speak to their submission will have the opportunity to do so at a public hearing.
Once the consultation period is complete, Council officers will analyze the feedback, assess the implications of closing or opening sites, and consider factors like costs and community impact. A final decision will be made by the elected Council members based on this analysis and community input.
Napier City Council acknowledges community concerns about the increased number of people experiencing homelessness in Napier, including those using freedom camping sites. The closure of a freedom camping site in Napier would not impact people experiencing homelessness, as they are not subject to enforcement under the Freedom Camping Act. These laws are specifically focused on managing freedom camping for travellers and visitors in self-contained vehicles only.
No, concerns about homelessness fall outside of the scope of the Freedom Camping Bylaw. Homelessness is a significant challenge faced by many cities around Aotearoa that takes on many forms with people rough sleeping and living in their vehicles. This complex social issue requires a multi-agency response and community compassion.
The presence of homeless individuals in public spaces, including freedom camping sites, is not illegal, so enforcement is not appropriate. Our Napier Assist, Āwhina Tangata team works closely with a range of agencies to connect vulnerable people with support services and discourage anti-social behaviour. Our public spaces are for everyone to enjoy, and we will not tolerate aggressive, anti-social, obstructive, unhygienic, or unsafe behaviour in any of our shared spaces, including freedom camping sites.
As discussed, freedom camping laws and infringements cannot be applied to people experiencing homelessness. Napier City Council continues to work with a range of agencies and community organisations to respond to homelessness. Council staff monitoring these sites complete welfare checks and can make referrals to social support agencies when appropriate.
If you have concerns about someone who may be experiencing homelessness or if you have concern over someone sleeping rough or would like to seek information on how to support someone experiencing homelessness:
Call NCC Customer Service Centre 06 835 7579 (public spaces only). Call Whatever it Takes Trust 06 835 2154 or email team@witservices.co.nz.
Intimidating, aggressive or anti-social behavior?
Call NZ Police 105 (non-emergency, already happened) 111 (emergency, happening now).
We have provided a number of ways for people to have their say on Napier's Freedom Camping Bylaw.
If you need assistance or would like a full copy of the document, please visit our Customer Service Centre, Napier Library, or Taradale Library, where our friendly teams are ready to help.
Ways to submit:
Make sure to have your say by 5pm, Friday 29 November. You can also request to present your views in person at a Council hearing in February 2025.
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