Increased monitoring of freedom camping sites

File photo.

Western Bay of Plenty District Council will increase monitoring of freedom camping areas over the kiwifruit harvest season to ensure people are following local bylaws.

With the start of the kiwifruit harvest some seasonal workers are parking and sleeping in their vehicles overnight in places that are not in the District's permitted freedom camping areas.

Over the next week Council will be actively visiting people who are freedom camping in these public areas to ensure they are aware of the rules about where they can and cannot stay overnight.

The focus will be on overnight freedom camping and compliance with the bylaw. Following this initial week, Council will be issuing $200 infringement fines to anyone freedom camping outside of the bylaw rules.

Council acknowledges the kiwifruit industry is a critical part of the western Bay of Plenty sub-region's economy and is working closely with the post-harvest sector to put in place a range of solutions to address the need for seasonal worker accommodation in the medium to long term.

In the meantime the Freedom Camping Bylaw sets out the rules for how reserve areas can be used by people wanting to stay overnight.

It is important for the wider community to understand that parking a vehicle in a carpark during the day is a legitimate and legal activity.

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1 comment

camping

Posted on 05-04-2019 11:09 | By ocean waves

fully agree but why is it someone can pitch a tent in Arataki Park with a preschool child and live there since January. so maybe freedom campers can all park in arataki park -


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