Cemeteries, alcohol control, and freedom camping bylaws adopted

Taupō District Council has reviewed and adopted bylaws relating to alcohol control, cemeteries and freedom camping.

In July, council proposed some changes to these bylaws which included expanding the alcohol-free zone in the Taupō CBD, changing the required depth of plots in cemeteries, and clarifying which areas prohibit freedom camping.

Having considered community feedback on the changes, the Cemeteries, Alcohol Control, and Freedom Camping Bylaws were adopted by the council on 26 September. The new bylaws come into effect from 16 October.

Policy advisor Andrew Wilson says all bylaws must be reviewed five years after they are first enacted, and every 10 years after that.

The expansion of the alcohol-free area in Taupō adds Tītīraupenga Street to the existing area in the CBD and will now be in effect 24/7.

“The police requested this change because they have seen increased disorder, partly due to excessive alcohol consumption in carparks next to the street,” Mr Wilson says.

The Alcohol Control Bylaw also includes a new liquor ban at the Paetiki shopping centre, based on community feedback, which is in effect 24/7, and an expansion of the Kinloch New Year liquor ban area.

The new Freedom Camping Bylaw aligns it with legislative changes passed by central government and removes the Whakamaru Domain as an open freedom camping site.

“The primary use of the field is for grazing, cropping, and motocross, by the Mangakino Central Charitable Trust, and it is not suitable for camping that is not self-contained such as using tents. This varied use of the space creates concern for both health and safety and potential negative visitor experience.”

The new Cemetery Bylaw moves operational matters and burial requirements into a more accessible cemeteries handbook.

For more information on Taupō District Council’s bylaws, including maps of the alcohol-free areas, go to www.taupo.govt.nz/bylaws.