Council's solution to stop caravan parking 'loophole' on Aussie roads
Caravans, along with boats and trailers, parking on narrow residential streets have long frustrated residents and councils.
With an uptick in caravan ownership across most of the country, it's no surprise we're seeing more parked on Aussie streets. It's a contentious issue that continues to divide opinion with many arguing they take up valuable kerbside real estate.
Last month, a large caravan together with a trailer parked on a narrow street in Newcastle, a beachside city in NSW, infuriating locals who claimed it limited access for other vehicles. But the issue is also rife in populated Sydney suburbs where the ugly parking problem has reached new heights — despite rules already in place to help eliminate the congestion.
Apparent flaw in current caravan parking rule
In NSW, and most other states and territories, it is legal for boats, trailers and caravans to be stationed on the street in the same spot for up to 28 days. After this, the owner will be notified and they need to be moved or risk a $600 fine.
The new location needs to be "at least as far as a different block section of the same street", according to guidelines. But Yahoo reader Richard fears a "loophole" with this rule means the problem still exists in most populated areas.
"They could be driven around the block and left for another 28 days," still taking up valuable space, he said. But there might just be a solution being carried out by Sydney councils that "appears to working".
Sydney council cracks down on large vehicle street parking
Observing the issue in the Northern Beaches area, where boats and trailers are also a problem, council has been "targeting streets of high usage and placed cars only signs for parking of a lengthy duration," Richard explained.
Boats, trailers and caravans parked on the side of the road are one of the most complained about issues and can be an obstruction or safety risk, a Northern Beaches Council spokesperson told Yahoo.
In the past 12 months, the Northern Beaches Council has received approximately 288 customer requests related to the parking of boats, trailers and other large vehicles in on-street locations across the LGA.
'Targeted action plan' proposed by council
To help curb the issue, 40 locations across the Northern Beaches council area now have a “No Parking – Motor Vehicles Excepted" sign installed, prohibiting any and all large vehicle parking in residential areas. The signs were first introduced in 2018 but are "continually being added as the operational needs arise" — especially in the past 12 months.
While it's been well received by residents in the area, new locations have now become hot spots for long-term parking, the council confirmed. A "targeted action plan" is now being proposed to help solve the issue for good.
This could see a "paid parking permit system for the storage of boats, caravans, and trailers". If it's approved, Richard said "people will need to add the cost of storage to having a caravan, campervan, trailer or boat".
Currently, if vehicles are not moved within the timeframe given, council can take possession of the vehicle and move the vehicles to a place of storage and issue a fine.
Other councils including North Sydney and Ku-ring-gai councils in Sydney's north also have the cars only signs in place on some streets.
Caravans, boats and trailers parked on streets a nationwide problem
Danny Gorog, CEO of council reporting app Snap Send Solve, told Yahoo News caravan and trailer ownership is putting a "strain on urban and suburban areas, where space is limited." This year, Snap Send Solve has seen "thousands" of reports of illegally parked caravans, boats and trailers across Australia. "With a dramatic rise in caravan ownership in recent years, the issue is becoming increasingly widespread," Gorog said.
Victoria is leading the count with 3,165 reports of illegally parked large vehicles. NSW follows closely with 2,482 reports, and Queensland with 1,842. Western Australia has reported 637 illegal parking incidents, while South Australia and Tasmania recorded 164 and 46, respectively.
"These numbers highlight the growing strain on urban and suburban areas, where space is limited, and the presence of large vehicles exacerbates safety and accessibility issues," he said.
"In many cases, they take up more than their fair share of parking spaces, or block access to essential services like fire hydrants".
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