Freedom campers driving to North Otago this weekend will be banned from camping on public land if they do not have an onboard toilet.
Freedom campers, Waitaki. Photo: Supplied / Waitaki District Council
A Waitaki District Council bylaw comes into effect today, imposing the ban and tightening the rules for self-contained campervans, which will only be able to stay on public land for three nights a month.
Councillor Melanie Tavendale said there was an influx of freedom campers into the district last summer, particularly around Campbell's Bay in Kakanui.
She said signs about the new bylaw will be put up at freedom-camping hot-spots.