In a world where free camping seems to be becoming increasingly difficult, it’s interesting to note that one local authority in New Zealand seems determined to buck the trend.
Rather than bowing to caravan park pressure and clamping down on ‘freedom’ campers, Tauranga City Council instead looks set to open up the number of places where self-contained motorhomes can stop overnight.
A council workshop has looked at allowing motorhomes and campervans to legally park in some Tauranga residential areas, provided they are not directly in front of houses. It’s a move that might be of real interest to some budget-minded Australian grey nomads.
The council in the North Island community backed moves to allow motorhomes weighing less than 3.5 tonnes to freedom camp on residential streets that had marked car parks. A draft bylaw on the issue will likely now go out for public consultation
Council transportation operations manager Martin Parkes told the Bay of Plenty Times that overnight parking was not allowed on highways and busy arterial roads, and he warned that opening up city streets without marked car parks could lead to safety issues.
However, he left it to the councillors to decide whether they backed overnight parking within marked car parks on busier collector streets and quiet neighbourhood streets. They did.
The council workshop also supported expanding the number of reserves where freedom camping is permitted, from the existing five reserves and 15 motorhomes to the new proposal of 28 reserves and 90 motorhomes.
Council bylaws monitoring officer Brian Jupp said he had not been getting many complaints about freedom campers.
Nonetheless, councillor Larry Baldock opposed allowing parking in residential areas, saying most people would be upset to wake up at 5am and see a mobile home outside their house.
Would you object if a motorhome parked outside your house overnight? Is allowing ‘residential’ camping for self-contained rigs a good idea? Comment below
absolutely NOT!, on streets with marked lanes it could lead to noise problems, not to mention litter problems, yes if it is in reserves .
Out of sight, out of mind, is hopefully the answer. Areas with no houses sounds fine to me, provided measures to minimize litter and noise are enforced.
I do not own the street outside my home, most campers do the right thing but those who don’t make it hard for those of us who leave an area cleaner than we found it.
Its the backpackers that are the problem,they are the problem everywhere and this move will invite them to your neighbourhood ,make sure that a residential camper is a grey nomad,no problems.
It is absolutely the BackPackers that are the dirty ones, have seen it too many times in Aus, they are dirty and noisy and leave toilet paper everywhere.
can’t see whats wrong will councils making part of the show grounds available to free campers
“Tauranga City Council instead looks set to open up the number of places where self-contained motorhomes can stop overnight.” Self-contained seemed to be the operative words, however, the accompanying photo of a slider seems at odds with the councils proposal. Also, ” provided they are not directly in front of houses”, doesn’t seem to fit with “Would you object if a motorhome parked outside your house overnight?”
terry
Maybe more thought should be given to parking in industrial areas?
As a free camper & a home owner I would strongly disagree with this situation.The security and pollution issues generated by this, need to be controlled. Free camping in approved areas (showgrounds, parks etc) bring in many benifits for the community, but on residential streets it is a lose lose situation.
New Zealand has a history of encouraging NH’s to access the area. It’s a different mindset than what Australia seems to follow. I have been there and discussed this with fellow travelers and was quite surprised at their freedoms(?). The Govt. even offers, visiting only I think. NH hirer’s tax reduced fuel. I don’t think it’s tax free, but even so.