Draft Freedom Camping Bylaw 2025

Formal consultation closed on Friday 8 August.

Submissions will now be considered by a hearing panel made up of Councillors and will help to inform any changes to the draft bylaw ahead of it being adopted.

The Bylaw is expected to go before Full Council for adoption on Thursday 9 October 2025, and be in place before summer 2025-2026.

Responsible camping spaces to protect our places

Queenstown Lakes District Council (QLDC) is taking formal submissions on a draft Freedom Camping Bylaw 2025 / Ture ā-Rohe mō te Noho Puni Korehere 2025 this July, which will include your opportunity to review the draft bylaw, Statement of Proposal, and maps of areas where freedom camping is proposed to be prohibited and restricted.

Read on for more information about what we’re proposing, and how you can get involved in the future – it’s really important we canvas your thoughts!

Queenstown Lakes District is known to be one of the most popular camping destinations in Aotearoa New Zealand. In 2024 alone, statistics estimate we saw over 7,794 campers spend at least one night in the district – that’s more than double the number of overnight stays in the next most popular territorial authority.

And that figure’s likely to continue growing. We estimate that between 2008 and 2018, international visitors practicing freedom camping in the country rose from 10,000 to 123,000.

Currently, the Freedom Camping Act 2011 permits freedom camping by default on most Council land in New Zealand, while the Reserves Act 1977 generally prohibits camping on reserves.

QLDC cannot prohibit freedom camping across all of its land, but we can create bylaws with rules to manage the impacts of freedom camping.

Why we need a Freedom Camping Bylaw

QLDC’s Freedom Camping Bylaw 2021 was quashed by the High Court in November 2024 following a judicial review application by the New Zealand Motor Caravan Association (NZMCA), and we currently do not have a replacement bylaw in effect.

While we’ve worked to educate campers and reduce instances of poor behaviour over the recent summer period through a comprehensive responsible camping programme, some of these activities can and will continue to impact our district and community if not managed appropriately.

As visitor numbers continue to rebound after the global pandemic COVID-19 and more and more people look to visit our beautiful district with the intention of freedom camping, it’s important we have a bylaw in place to protect our spectacular environment, the health and safety of residents and visitors, and access to our wonderful wilderness for all.

What we considered when creating the draft bylaw

We’ve undertaken a robust assessment process across the Queenstown Lakes District to identify actions available to appropriately manage the effects of freedom camping in terms of protection of access, health and safety and/or the values of the areas (these are the three reasons in the Freedom Camping Act 2011 for which a council may make a bylaw). This process considered a range of data, including requests for service to QLDC, summer responsible camping ambassador observations, stakeholder input and subject matter experts across a range of fields (i.e., transport and traffic, health and safety, natural hazards, ecology, water quality and quantity and water services, noise, Māori/cultural values and heritage).

What the draft bylaw proposes

The draft bylaw proposes 15 restricted freedom camping areas on public land, where freedom camping would be allowed but subject to conditions specific to each area. The areas are primarily in existing carparks and include 43 parking spaces in the Upper Clutha ward, 5 in the Arrowtown ward, and 110 in the Whakatipu ward.

In addition, other than Luggate Red Bridge, reserves will continue to be prohibited for freedom camping under the Reserves Act 1977.

The conditions for the restricted areas where freedom camping is proposed include:

• time restrictions (i.e., a freedom camper must arrive at a designated spot after a specific time in the evening, and leave before a specific time in the morning)
• only using specified parking spaces (these will be individually signposted within each carpark, and freedom camping outside one of these spots will be subject to fines)
• leaving no waste
• lighting no fires
• a requirement for vehicles to be certified as self-contained with a toilet and grey water facilities.

Other key proposals include:

• Freedom camping would be allowed on most rural roads, subject to restrictions such as how close to the road a freedom camper can park and ensuring there is room for other users of layby areas.
• Freedom camping would be prohibited on most roads located within the district’s built-up urban areas to protect access for the whole community to these roads and the parking spaces on them. This would include residential, town centre, commercial, and other business areas. Camping cannot occur on private roads without the permission of the landowner.

Key documents

• Draft Freedom Camping Bylaw 2025
• Statement of Proposal - Draft Freedom Camping Bylaw 2025
• Interactive Map of Prohibited and Restricted Freedom Camping Areas
• Officer Report - Draft Freedom Camping Bylaw 2025
• Infringement Data - Summer Ambassador Observations and Requests for Service
• Overview Report of Technical Assessment
• Full Technical Assessment

Consultation closed on Friday 8 August 2025.

What happens now?

Formal submissions will be considered by a hearing panel made up of Councillors and will help to inform any changes to the draft bylaw ahead of it being adopted.

The Bylaw is expected to go before Full Council for adoption on Thursday 9 October 2025, and be in place before summer 2025-2026.