Plain language law

New Zealand law explained for everyone

Freedom Camping Act 2011

Enforcement, miscellaneous, and transitional provisions - Proceedings

31: Entitlement to infringement fees

You could also call this:

“Who gets the money from freedom camping fines?”

If you break the rules about freedom camping, you might get a fine. This law talks about who gets to keep the money from those fines.

If a local council’s officer gives you the fine, the local council gets to keep the money.

If an officer from the Department of Conservation gives you the fine, the money goes to the government.

If an officer from the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment or the New Zealand Police gives you the fine, the money also goes to the government.

It doesn’t matter where you got the fine - whether it was on local council land, conservation land, or land managed by Land Information New Zealand. The rules about who gets the money stay the same.

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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=DLM3742889.

Topics:
Government and voting > Local councils
Environment and resources > Conservation
Money and consumer rights > Taxes
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30: Charging hirer for infringement fee, or

“Rental companies must follow steps before charging you for breaking camping rules”

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32: Appointment of enforcement officers by local authorities, or

“Local councils pick people to make sure freedom camping rules are followed”

Part 3 Enforcement, miscellaneous, and transitional provisions
Proceedings

31Entitlement to infringement fees

  1. A local authority is entitled to retain all infringement fees resulting from infringement notices issued by enforcement officers appointed by the local authority under section 32.

  2. All infringement fees resulting from infringement notices issued by enforcement officers appointed by the Director-General under section 33 must be paid into a Crown Bank Account.

  3. All infringement fees resulting from infringement notices issued by enforcement officers appointed by the chief executive or the commissioner under section 33A must be paid into a Crown Bank Account.

  4. To avoid doubt, subsections (1) to (3) apply irrespective of whether the fees are for offences committed in relation to a local authority area, conservation land, or LINZ land.

Notes
  • Section 31(3): replaced, on , by section 27 of the Self-contained Motor Vehicles Legislation Act 2023 (2023 No 24).
  • Section 31(4): inserted, on , by section 27 of the Self-contained Motor Vehicles Legislation Act 2023 (2023 No 24).