The freedom camping season in Dunedin is off to a good start this year with a funding boost.
The Dunedin City Council was recently successful in an application to the Ministry of Business Innovation and Employment
for $140,000 towards the cost of responsible camping initiatives. The funds will help the DCC manage freedom camping
during the 2020 – 2021 season, paying for the community ranger programme, increased security patrols for monitoring and
enforcement, and temporary toilet facilities and servicing.
The season begins this Sunday, 1 November and ends on 30 April 2021, although freedom campers use some Dunedin sites
throughout the year.
The DCC Acting Group Manager Parks and Recreation Scott MacLean says, “We’re waiting to see what freedom camping looks
like this year but, so far, visitor numbers have been average to above average. At this stage, we’re not sure how the
season will shape up.”
The Thomas Burns site has now been added to the DCC’s Camping Control Bylaw on a permanent basis. This allows both
self-contained and non-self-contained vehicles to camp there during the season every year.
Last season, Thomas Burns was Dunedin’s most popular site and was successful in relieving the pressure of growing
freedom camping numbers at Warrington and Ocean View.
Three community rangers will visit freedom campsites this season and will patrol further afield to areas such as
Waikouaiti. They will be visiting campsites at Warrington Domain, Ocean View, Brighton Domain and Thomas Burns. Freedom
campers will be surveyed and the information gathered will build on data collected last summer.
The joint DCC/Department of Conservation community ranger initiative will run from November until the end of April
2020.As well as monitoring and informing people about freedom camping, they will be making sure vehicles stay off our
beaches, especially in areas such as Tomahawk and Waikouaiti.