About 30 Mount Maunganui residents are packing Tauranga City Council's public gallery this morning to protest council's freedom camping bylaw.

Today's council meeting was moved forward to a 9am start to cater to the large number of Marine Parade residents opposed to allowing freedom campers along Marine Parade east of Banks Avenue.

Residents of Marine Parade are speaking at a public forum in Tauranga City Council Chambers to oppose freedom camping along the road.

The bylaw will mean that people can sleep overnight in vehicles that are already permitted to park there 24 hours without penalty.

Some residents are opposed to the bylaw as they say it will result in a wall of campervans blocking residents' views.

Council will listen to residents in a public forum before discussing the bylaw. Today's meeting also includes discussion of a resolution beginning the controversial road swap process of revoking Turret Road's highway status, as part of the council divesting itself of the Route K toll road. Route K's future is to be discussed under a separate resolution.

Also for consideration today is a proposal to stop the ends of Harris and Carter Streets, revoke the reserve liking them, and sell it to Bayfair owners Tower.