‘You can’t sleep well’: Move-on notices disrupt Hamilton car sleepers

Wednesday, 22 July 2026

Every night, while most people are at home in bed, Donna Ingham is among those who have to find somewhere to park and sleep.

Now, as the number of Hamilton City Council notices ordering people sleeping in cars to move on rises sharply, Ingham and others living in vehicles say they are simply trying to get by.

Council data shows the number of City Safe notices telling rough sleepers at city parks — mostly those living in cars — to move on has almost tripled over three years.

Ingham is one of three Hamiltonians who spoke to the Waikato Times about her situation. All three had only been doing so for about a year, citing the struggle to afford living costs.

Ingham said her dog, Dave, was a factor in why she didn’t want to stay in a homeless shelter — he would not be able to come.

Dave was essentially a therapy dog, and having him around had saved her life amid her grief at the death of her daughter.

While she hadn’t been given any notice in Hamilton, she said she was fined $400 for freedom camping at a park in Thames about two months ago.

“I did say, well, look, I'm not actually freedom camping. [They said] well, you're in the back, and so here we are.”

Her key message was that homeless people were “just normal people”, despite living in rough conditions.

“The mattress, it's so damp when you move and you can't tell whether or not it's just wet, or if it's just cold.”

Council data provided to the Waikato Times shows a rising number of City Safe notices issued on the topic.

Most of these were camping notices, telling people to move within 24 hours, but a smaller number were trespass notices, which police could be called on to enforce.

In 2022, a total of 12 notices were issued, the data showed.

In 2023, the rate seemed similar, with six notices issued in the first six months, but the council said records weren’t available for the second half of the year.

There were also no records available for 2024.

In 2025, the number of notices issued had jumped to 33, nearly triple the 2022 figure.

This year, the total was on track to meet or top last year, with the notice tally for the first half of 2026 sitting at 19.

Asked about the missing data, the council acknowledged its records were incomplete, and said the process for this had since been strengthened.

An accompanying statement from the council said it was receiving an increasing number of complaints from the public about rough sleepers, mostly in vehicles, and some in tents. Some people had been served multiple letters as they moved from park to park.

“Council responds when members of the public raise concerns about the behaviour of people sleeping rough in parks, or when their presence affects the work of parks staff.

“Our approach is always to check on their welfare first and help connect them with local services that will be able to support them before any enforcement.”

However, they would also be told sleeping at the park, mostly in vehicles, was against the council’s Parks, Domains and Reserves Bylaw.

“This bylaw prohibits camping in Hamilton parks, except at Porritt Stadium’s Freedom Camping area for certified self-contained vehicles.”

If they were still there the next day, they would be given a camping notice, giving them 24 hours to leave.

The response also noted that people who were sleeping rough were exempt from national freedom camping legislation.

The response did not say whether more people were actually living in cars, although those who spoke to the Waikato Times said this was the case.

One man, a former construction worker who had been injured, said City Safe watched them “like hawks”. He had never been given a notice, although he knew of others who had.

He said most of those in his situation kept a low profile and were being unfairly “harassed“. The questions asked by City Safe workers were intrusive, he said.

“We don’t seek attention. You can’t sleep well, constantly looking over your shoulder.”

He was also worried about the impact of the Government’s planned move-on legislation, currently under Select Committee review. It would be ridiculous to give a homeless person a $2000 fine, he said.

Another man, who had moved to Hamilton from Wellington to be near his mother amid her struggle with dementia, said a minority of people who lived in their cars were messy or caused problems.

They gave a bad name to the majority who were tidy and just trying to get by.

The second man said his key message was for the council to “just leave us the hell alone.”

City Safe operations manager Philippa Clear said last month they responded to community concerns and did not proactively go out looking for people sleeping in cars.

“We also explain where overnight parking isn’t allowed. Our approach is to work alongside people wherever we can.”