Holidaymakers will have the freedom to park on the side of the road in Westland again, after a backdown from the local council. <\/p>\n
The Westland District Council has announced it will stop enforcing a local bylaw which prevented freedom camping in the region. <\/p>\n
The decision comes after a legalchallenge from the New Zealand Motor Caravan Association (NZCMA), who in January fileda lawsuit in the High Court over the issue. <\/p>\n
The bylaw, which came into effect in November, banned freedom camping within one kilometre of 18 West Coast towns and settlements. <\/p>\n
NZMCA general manager Bruce Lochore says that the \"hard-fought\" victory reflected how illegal and unreasonable the bylaw was. <\/p>\n
\"This decision by the council is a victory for our members. This is a win for us and for the motor caravan community,\" he says. <\/p>\n
\"Workable bylaws strike the proper balance between protecting local authority areas and respecting the rights of responsible freedom campers.\" <\/p>\n
The NZCMA claimed the law was in violation of the Freedom Camping Act, as it limited the right to freedom of movement. But Westland District Mayor Marueen Pugh says that fighting the law wasn't an option with the council's current budget, as it could be expensive to defend. <\/p>\n
\"It was going to cost us around $50,000,\" she says. \"It simply wasn't worth it to us, we're too small to take [on] an organisation the size of NZMCA.\" <\/p>\n
Ms Pugh says the council has stopped enforcing the bylaw but hasn't removed it, meaning it could be brought back into action quickly. The bylaw will be subject to a review but there is no deadline on that process, as the council is planning to wait and see if a legal precedent is set as freedom campers take on other councils. <\/p>\n
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Council backs down over freedom campers<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Holidaymakers will have the freedom to park on the side of the road in Westland again, after a backdown from the local council. The Westland District Council has announced it will stop enforcing a local bylaw which prevented freedom camping in the region. The decision comes after a legalchallenge from the New Zealand Motor Caravan Association (NZCMA), who in January fileda lawsuit in the High Court over the issue. Continue reading