Automatic number plate monitoring will be used in Christchurch this summer as part of a trial to crack down on freedom campers.

The six-month trial will start on October 22 and aims to assess freedom camper compliance rates.

All vehicles used for freedom camping in New Zealand must have a certificate of self-containment and display a green warrant card.

Under the trial, freedom campers who visit Christchurch City Council land will have their number plates automatically recorded and matched against an online database to identity whether they are certified.

Vehicles that are not certified as self-contained and are found in breach of the Council’s Freedom Camping Bylaw will be issued infringement notices.

Council general manager for planning, strategy and regulatory services, John Higgins, says the trial aims to improve compliance and establish if the council’s current Freedom Camping Bylaw is working.

“Data from the trial will also assist the council to assess the volume of freedom campers in the city, and where issues are occurring,” he said.

Council staff will continue to have a physical presence when it comes to monitoring popular freedom camping sites for compliance while the trial is undertaken.

Freedom camping is permitted in the Coastal Burwood Designated Freedom Camping Area for certified vehicles that have a permanently fixed toilet and meet requirements relating to water supply, wastewater, ventilation, and rubbish storage.