Freedom Camping Bylaw ‘win for community’ says Central Hawke’s Bay Mayor Alex Walker

Proposed out-of-season restrictions for tents at Pourerere have been removed from the bylaw.

The Freedom Camping Bylaw adopted by Central Hawke’s Bay District Council last week has removed proposed additional controls, choosing to be a ‘regulatory backstop’ rather than a framework to manage all camping.

It’s a ‘win’ for the community, Central Hawke’s Bay Mayor Alex Walker said.

“We recognised that camping is in the DNA of our Tamatea-Central Hawke’s Bay people, so we expected a strong response to the call for submissions from the community.”

Council wanted to support camping all year round, while managing the impacts at peak times.

The bylaw respects the areas where the district has traditionally had freedom camping, while prioritising the conservation efforts of local coastal communities, she said.

“We have removed the seasonal permit proposal for Pōrangahau and the out-of-season restrictions for tents at Pourerere.

“The intention is to encourage responsible camping, enable access to camping opportunities across the district, but managed in a way that protects our environment, supports our economy, responds to local social needs, and respects the cultural context of places and people.”

The council worked closely with the mana whenua kaitiaki, coastal communities and the Pourerere Camping Committee during the process, and will continue to do so, Mayor Walker said. It was very clear from the survey and 533 submissions that the community values freedom camping, but equally the community needs to be able to deal with a few issues, largely caused by a small number of people, she said.

“The bylaw will enable additional freedom camping areas within the district. That means we can enjoy our beautiful district in our preferred way. It’s a real ‘win’ for community engagement – people told us what mattered, we listened, and we brought that to the deliberations and decision.”

The bylaw is available on the council website – https://www.chbdc.govt.nz/our-council/bylaws/