Bylaws
Bylaws are rules or regulations made by Council, under national legislation, that affect different aspects of public life in the local community.
Under the Local Government Act 2002, Council has general bylaw making powers for the following purposes:
- Protecting the public from nuisance
- Protecting, promoting and maintaining public health and safety
- Minimising the potential for offensive behaviour in public places.
A range of other legislation provides specific bylaw making powers to Council e.g. Dog Control Act 1996, Freedom Camping Act 2011 and Land Transport Act 1998.
This Bylaw regulates the keeping of cats within Nelson City. It came into force on 19 December 2024.
The Dog Control Bylaw regulates the keeping and management of dogs within Nelson City and where they are permitted, permitted on condition, or prohibited in public places. It came into force on 27 July 2020.
To ensure maritime safety in the Nelson region, Bylaw 218 sets out local rules for how vessels may enter, anchor, operate without causing nuisance, and safely remain in regional waters. It applies to both commercial and recreational activities, as well as organised maritime events. The bylaw includes provisions for safety zones, vessel identification, lifejacket use, and communication requirements. It also allows for exemptions and the creation of exclusion zones when necessary to protect people, property, and the marine environment.
The Bylaw came into force on 1 October 2019.
This Bylaw regulates freedom camping as defined in the Freedom Camping Act 2011.
Freedom camping is prohibited or restricted in some locations to protect the area, the health and safety of people visiting the area or protect access to the area.
Some areas are provided for self-contained and non-self-contained freedom camping, subject to conditions.
The Bylaw was adopted on 3 July 2025 and comes into force on 1 October 2025.
This Bylaw regulates and sets requirements for the control and parking of vehicles and other traffic (including pedestrian traffic) on any road, and for any objects or other things on any road. It came into force on 3 November 2023.
The Urban Environments Bylaw covers many things that help us coexist harmoniously in our city and neighbourhood spaces. This Bylaw has the following purposes:
- To protect, promote and maintain public health and safety
- To protect the public from activities that may constitute, or have the potential to constitute a nuisance
- To regulate the use of public places
- To regulate the keeping of animals and poultry
- To minimise the potential for disorder or offensive behaviour, including controlling the bringing of alcohol into specified public places and the consumption and possession of alcohol in those public places
- To regulate trading in public places, including soliciting donations and busking and begging
- To manage activities within Nelson’s parks and reserves, including Nelson’s cemeteries
- To promote the display of street numbers on buildings.
The Bylaw came into effect on 2 June 2022 and was subsequently amended on 12 September 2024 and 24 October 2025.
This Bylaw is to:
- Protect the health and safety of the public from potential adverse effects of harmful substances discharged to the wastewater system
- Manage, and protect from damage, infrastructure associated with wastewater
- Regulate the discharge of domestic wastewater into the wastewater system
- Regulate the discharge of trade waste into the wastewater system.
It came into effect on 15 September 2021.
This Bylaw is to:
- Enable the Council to manage and provide public water supply services
- Protect the public water supply network from damage, misuse, and interference
- Protect the environment and the health and safety of the public and persons using the public water supply
- Provide for water restrictions when necessary.
It came into effect on 21 September 2021.
