Campers will not be fined

Freedom campers have been temporarily spared the threat of $200 instant fines if they break Tauranga's rules controlling where they are allowed to park up at night.

The council's corporate solicitor Joanne Gread told councillors yesterday that the ability to fine freedom campers expired at the end of August.

The reprieve for freedom campers has been caused by the council being forced to postpone adopting its Street Use and Public Places bylaw.

"We may have nothing in place over Christmas," she said.

Councillor Larry Baldock said the hiatus was good news for freedom campers.

The Freedom camping provisions in the bylaw have been challenged by the New Zealand Motor Caravan Association which told the council recently that Tauranga's near blanket ban on camping was illegal.

The association said the way the updated bylaw continued to restrict motor homes to five sites around the city was at odds with the 2011 Freedom of Camping Act.

However Ms Gread said the association's legal opinion was so broad that it did not give the council any assistance. Local Government New Zealand was getting its own legal review.

Council monitoring officer Brian Jupp said that most motor homes parked away from residential areas and he received few complaints. The exception was along Marine Parade in the summer, along with complaints about young kiwifruit pickers.

Meeting chairman David Stewart urged delaying adopting the bylaw, saying the council needed to get as much information as possible on freedom camping.