Some authorities, like the Clutha District Council, already have their own freedom camping bylaws. Others, like the Waitaki District, Queenstown Lakes District and Dunedin City Councils, are drafting bylaws.
Once the legislation is passed, councils will have a year to "tweak" existing bylaws to ensure they comply with the legislation.
The Freedom Camping Bill, to be introduced in Parliament this month, will set $200 instant fines for camping illegally and fines of up to $10,000 for illegally dumping campervan waste.
Councils say instant fines will be make it easier to extract money from people breaking the rules. At present, those beaching bylaws have to be prosecuted through the courts.
The Queenstown Lakes District Council will decide today whether to adopt its Freedom Camping Control Bylaw 2011.
The bylaw lists more than a dozen areas near lakesides and settlements where camping would be prohibited. The areas were identified by a council panel after public hearings last month.
Hearings panel member Cr Jude Battson, of Lake Hawea, said yesterday a consistent fine regime was needed.
Some councils, including Queenstown Lakes, had bigger problems with pollution and human waste than others but, with everyone on board, there could be a shift in public attitude to dumping waste, she said.
"It is early days. It may not take much time before you liken [dumping waste] to things like drink-driving and [not wearing] seat belts."
With national legislation, campervan users should have "got the message" about what was acceptable by the time they reached the Queenstown Lakes area, Ms Battson said.
Wanaka Community Board chairman Lyal Cocks said each local authority had been considering a different level of fines through its bylaws so the proposed legislation would achieve consistency.
The Waitaki District Council would proceed with its bylaw despite the proposed legislation, policy manager Fraser Liggett said yesterday.
The council has released a draft of its Environmental Nuisance and Freedom Camping Control Bylaw and has called for public submissions by Friday.
The bylaw being adopted was based on a template produced by the Department of Internal Affairs, Mr Liggett said.
"We want to make sure we follow our neighbours so there is consistency," he said.
"It gives us more tools to enforce our policy. It sends a simple, clear message about the rules of camping, and we will have the ability to issue an instant fine."
Tourism Catlins projects co-ordinator Kim Dodds said the group was happy with the Bill as freedom camping had been a problem in South Otago, particularly in the Catlins, for a long time.
"The council has done a good job with the bylaw, but now we need to find a way to enforce it." The new laws would serve as a good framework for the Central Otago District Council to design its own camping bylaw, district Mayor Tony Lepper said.
The council hoped its bylaw would be in place before summer.
