New Zealand Freedom Camping Forum

Last updated: January 2009

The Ministry of Tourism is a member of the New Zealand Freedom Camping Forum (NZFCF), convened in December 2007 by the Tourism Industry Association New Zealand (TIA), in response to concerns about the impact of freedom camping.

Freedom camping in this context is camping done away from sites that are recognised as camping grounds, and can include camping in a caravan, bus, car, tent or campervan. The location can be in rest areas or reserves, at beaches, in car parks or at the side of the road.

Freedom camping in the wrong places or without appropriate management is having negative environmental, social and economic impacts in some regions.

The forum is involved in a number of projects:

Development of the website www.camping.org.nz that encourages freedom campers to “Assume nothing – always ask a local” before they pitch a tent or park a caravan. The Ministry of Tourism contributed $20,000 to this work.
Other promotional materials to help communities better manage freedom camping in their areas.
Developing national freedom camping policy principles to assist local councils put together detailed freedom camping policies for their own regions.
Development of a national ‘no camping’ sign.

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