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Freedom Camping Act 2011

Preliminary provisions

5: Meaning of freedom camp

You could also call this:

“What 'freedom camping' means and when you can do it”

In this law, freedom camping means camping within 200 metres of an area you can reach by car, or within 200 metres of the sea or a harbour’s low-water line, or on or within 200 metres of a formed road or a Great Walks Track. You can do this using a tent, a temporary structure, or a motor vehicle.

Freedom camping doesn’t include parking your car for a short time, going on day trips, or sleeping in your car at the roadside to avoid getting tired while driving.

You’re not considered to be freedom camping if you’re not in New Zealand on a visitor visa, you can’t live in normal housing, and because of this, you’re living in a tent, temporary structure, or motor vehicle.

The law also explains some important terms. A camping ground is a place with a current registration certificate under the Camping-Grounds Regulations 1985, or any place where you pay a fee to camp. Great Walks Tracks are listed in Schedule 1 of this Act or specified by an Order in Council. Immigration instructions are defined in the Immigration Act 2009. Residential accommodation includes houses, flats, hotels, motels, boarding houses, and camping grounds.

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This page was last updated on

View the original legislation for this page at https://legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1986/0120/latest/link.aspx?id=DLM3742849.

Topics:
Housing and property > Land use
Environment and resources > Conservation
Transport and travel > Driving
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Part 1 Preliminary provisions

5Meaning of freedom camp

  1. In this Act, freedom camp means to camp (other than at a camping ground) within 200 m of an area accessible by motor vehicle or within 200 m of the mean low-water springs line of any sea or harbour, or on or within 200 m of a formed road or a Great Walks Track, using either or both of the following:

  2. a tent or other temporary structure:
    1. a motor vehicle.

      1. In this Act, freedom camping does not include the following activities:

      2. temporary and short-term parking of a motor vehicle:
        1. recreational activities commonly known as day-trip excursions:
          1. resting or sleeping at the roadside in a motor vehicle to avoid driver fatigue.

            1. In this Act, a person is not freedom camping if the person—

            2. is a person other than a person who is in New Zealand on the basis of a visitor visa (within the meaning of the immigration instructions); and
              1. is unable to live in appropriate residential accommodation; and
                1. as a consequence of that inability, is living in either or both of the following:
                  1. a tent or other temporary structure:
                    1. a motor vehicle.

                    2. In this section,—

                      camping ground means—

                      1. a camping ground that is the subject of a current certificate of registration under the Camping-Grounds Regulations 1985; or
                        1. any site at which a fee is payable for camping at the site

                          Great Walks Track means—

                          1. a track specified in Schedule 1; and
                            1. any other track specified by Order in Council made under section 44 as a Great Walks Track

                              immigration instructions has the same meaning as in section 4 of the Immigration Act 2009

                                residential accommodation includes accommodation in a dwelling house, flat, hotel, motel, boarding house, or camping ground.

                                Notes
                                • Section 5(1): replaced, on , by section 6(1) of the Self-contained Motor Vehicles Legislation Act 2023 (2023 No 24).
                                • Section 5(2)(c): amended, on , by section 6(2) of the Self-contained Motor Vehicles Legislation Act 2023 (2023 No 24).
                                • Section 5(2A): inserted, on , by section 6(3) of the Self-contained Motor Vehicles Legislation Act 2023 (2023 No 24).
                                • Section 5(3): amended, on , by section 6(4) of the Self-contained Motor Vehicles Legislation Act 2023 (2023 No 24).
                                • Section 5(3) camping ground paragraph (a): amended, on , by section 6(5) of the Self-contained Motor Vehicles Legislation Act 2023 (2023 No 24).
                                • Section 5(3) immigration instructions: inserted, on , by section 6(6) of the Self-contained Motor Vehicles Legislation Act 2023 (2023 No 24).
                                • Section 5(3) residential accommodation: inserted, on , by section 6(6) of the Self-contained Motor Vehicles Legislation Act 2023 (2023 No 24).