The Waitaki district’s first freedom camping bylaw will be on the table at the district council’s September 14 meeting after an amended draft of the bylaw unanimously passed through the Waitaki District Council’s customer services committee last week.
Customer services group manager Richard Mabon said that to have a bylaw in place prior to Labour Weekend was considered "challenging" when the process began, but creating the bylaw had "gone well".
Freedom camping would be prohibited in 79 named reserves in the district once the Waitaki District Responsible Freedom Camping Bylaw 2016 received councillors’ support.
And freedom campers in the Waitaki would only be allowed to camp in the same spot for a maximum of three days over a four-week period.
Camper vans used for freedom camping would be required to meet national standards for self-containment, which would mean a three-day capacity for grey water and black water.
On June 8, the council approved a contingency budget of up to $56,000 for policing of the bylaw and education about the new rules.
