Now’s your chance to provide feedback on the Marlborough District Council’s Draft Responsible Camping Control Bylaw 2022.

The Council has extended the deadline for submissions to Monday 31 January to give people additional time to comment over the holiday period. The Council’s decision to review the 2020 bylaw has been prompted by the concerns raised by the New Zealand Motor Caravan Association (NZMCA).

Mayor John Leggett said the Council received a ‘statement of claim for judicial review’ from the NZMCA in relation to the bylaw at the end of May 2021.

The two key points of the NZMCA claim are that:

1) Submitters were not given the chance to make submissions on the restriction of freedom camping to five sites in the district

2) Further, the Council did not undertake a complete assessment of all areas in the district (other than for the five sites) against the criteria in the Freedom Camping Act.

“While the Council does not accept these claims, we are undertaking further consultation on the bylaw to address these points and to address other matters that have arisen since the bylaw came into effect,” Mayor Leggett said.

“We know freedom camping is a challenging issue in Marlborough and New Zealand. Now is the time for the community to read over the Draft Marlborough District Council Responsible Camping Bylaw 2022, and the accompanying documentation and make submissions regarding the proposed changes or identify any other issues relating to freedom camping in our region,” Mayor Leggett said.

“Once consultation closes on 31 January the Council will undertake a robust analysis of the submissions and aims to hold public hearings during the first quarter of the year,” Mayor Leggett said.

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