Summer is coming which means, so are the freedom campers. But luckily something else is coming too, a $183,000 grant from the central government to help address the issues associated with Freedom Camping.

For the second year running, Tauranga City Council has applied and received a grant from the Responsible Camping Working Group.

The funding is part of an $8.5 million package to support local councils in implementing effective freedom camping in their areas.

Tauranga City Council Team Leader: Regulation Monitoring, Stuart Goodman says the council is pleased to receive support from central government.

"With Tauranga's increasing popularity with both domestic and international travellers, it's great to see central government acknowledging local council's need for support," says Stuart.

The funding will go towards education and information provision, enforcement and monitoring, and infrastructure development such as signage, rubbish collection and recycling stations.

It will ensure additional facilities and services are in place to support the community and minimise the impact on our environment.

Council also plans to work with partner organisations and community groups on initiatives to educate and inform visitors about freedom camping in our city over the summer months.

"We want people to come and enjoy our beautiful city but also behave responsibly when camping in our public spaces. To do this, we need to make sure the information was easy to understand and readily available," says Stuart.

More information can be found on the Tauranga City Council website including the locations of all 38 freedom camping sites in Tauranga.

Freedom Camping must be a self-contained vehicle clearly displaying NZS5465:2001 certification. Non-self‑contained vehicles must book into a campground to avoid receiving an infringement