The question of whether it is appropriate for caravans and motorhomes to be parked long-term on residential streets continues to ignite fierce debate in some areas.
On Queensland’s Sunshine Coast, a petition launched on July 30 by a resident angered by two caravans he says are parked on either side of his driveway has already gathered more than 650 signatures.
It calls on the Sunshine Coast Council to take immediate and decisive action to regulate ‘the long-term, unsafe, and unattended parking of caravans, campervans, motorhomes, and other large recreational vehicles (including boats and trailers)’ on public streets and on land that is controlled by the council.
Some caravans are left on the street for extended periods. PIC: Cizza
“The increasing number of caravans and large recreational vehicles being left on public streets for extended periods — sometimes for weeks or months — significantly reduces the availability of essential on-street parking for residents and their visitors,” the petition says. “This is particularly problematic in residential areas and near public amenities like parks and beaches.”
The petition says the parked vans and motorhomes pose safety issues.
“These large vehicles frequently obstruct sightlines for drivers at intersections, junctions, and private driveways, creating a serious safety risk for motorists, cyclists, and pedestrians,” it says. “When parked on narrow streets, they can impede the access of emergency service vehicles such as ambulances and fire trucks.”
The petition also argues that many of the vehicles are parked in a manner that partially or wholly obstructs footpaths and nature strips; and they detract from the visual amenity and character of neighbourhoods.
“Furthermore, there are concerns regarding the potential for illegal dumping of greywater or other waste from vehicles being used for unofficial camping.”
According to the Sunshine Coast News, the local council has already asked the state government to investigate options for managing the issue, submitting a motion for the Local Government Association of Queensland’s annual conference in October.
However, a Department of Transport and Main Roads spokesperson told the publication that the council had the powers to be able to deal with the problem locally.
“Queensland law authorises local governments to regulate parking in their area, including enforcing parking on state-controlled roads with approval from TMR,” they said. “This ensures parking is tailored for local community needs … local governments can regulate parking by installing official signs or making local laws.”
A council spokesperson has previously told Sunshine Coast News the council considered parking and kerbside management controls in line with its Parking Management Plan and associated Local Area Parking Plans.
“If residents have any issues or concerns about their areas, they can log a request with council, which we will consider, investigate where warranted and provide a response,” they said.
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Well the first one you blame is the council for making house blocks so small you can’t even get a wheelbarrow down the side of a house , the council are so greedy for money that they try to get as many houses between to streets they need flogging
I agree with you on this
Australian’s have this idea that you need to squeeze a big house into a small block. There was an interesting story on ABC radio, about house sizes, number of bedrooms and bathrooms and the number of people living there. Google it.
I often see photos of suburban developments near our capital cities, I call them Sardine developments. Big huge houses butted up next to each other with mostly black roofs. It also is amazing that some if not all have double carports.
There must be a better plan for developments and how we live. The ever expansion of suburbia into productive agricultural land and the destruction of native habitat has to stop.
I think Australia (‘s) need to look at how people in Europe and especially the Nordic countries live. Especially in cities.
great reply ,+ get people into public transport
Perth rail line stations plans to use land next to them units
Hi mate.
Well I agree with all you have stated. Specially the destruction of our local / suburban bushlands. I live in WA Helenavalley. When I first moved here it wasn’t all bush /trees/ animals eg- kangaroos..rabbits..marsupials of a good mix ..birds..and cookies pink & grey , whites, even the black and red / white. There were horses that were rescued & Mum & I would feed them it was a lovely cheap outing together. Now houses jammed onto 450 size blocks side by side. If you cough the houses next to you hear every thing. Now as I have protested plus written to the Shire and tried to petition to think with yr brains a bit harder even outside the square. Change yr mind sets they just don’t understand.
*** BUT WHAT REALLY GETS ME ANNOYED AND ON THE WAR PATH IS EVERY DEVELOPER WITH $$$ IN THERE EYES WORKS OUT HOW TO EXPLOIT THE AREA BUY PLACING AS MANY HOUSES POSSIBLE ON THE SITE. BUT IN THE MEAN TIME GOVT..SHIRE..DEVELOPERS ETC… DONT CARE ABOUT THE TOTAL WIPE OUT OF THE ANIMALS . EVERY TREE IS BULLDOZED. I STOOD MY GROUND BUT WAS ROUGHLY MAN HANDLED TO MOVE ON. SO NOW WHEN I PASS BY A SANDPIT OF FLAT DEAD LIFELESS EARTH AND SEE DEAD ANIMALS ON THE ROAD I THINK THEY MUST ALL BE BRAIN DEAD OR JUST DONT GIVE A SHIT. ITS ALL ABOUT THE DOLLAR $$$. SO YES – I AGREE 100% WITH YOU MATE. BEST OF WISHES.
DENISE (DEN) WA
* Helenavalley the location of DEAD ROAD KILL & a Shire who dont care. Plus 2 Govt’s that only want money & have closed eyes *
Correct. We need to decentralise congested cities.
Sorry mate, the first one to blame is the owner who bought the block and then bought the Van with nowhere to put it.
Exately, they spend $100000 + onthe van but dont want to pay for storage
Yes ,HOUSE ON WHEELS
Very few people spend $100,000 on a van. We have spent from $7,000 to $50,000
A lot of grey nomads have money,an expensive van but will not pay 4 storage. Bit like buying a house. There r hidden bills. Rates, Water, Electricity. You have to look at the full picture n pay money for unexpected expenses.
If the road is wide enough to accommodate the larger vehicle as is mine for my motorhome then I see no issue.
Take the jealousy out of the equation people.
Good stuff the baby boomers made millions on houses negative gearing pay 100 grand for a caravan pay to store it my parents are baby boomers they all winge they are the ones that ruined a nice weekend with family there is too many of them caravan stay have tripled there the ones causing accidents on freeways never towed before it is a circus out there go on your 10 grand cruises leave it alone.
Exactly
These days you don’t have any choice on block size. Councils all over are reducing the required size every year. take a look around most cities and see how many cars that are permenately parked on the verge.
Totally agree
Wrong!!! You do have a choice, DON’t buy it!! Simple. The world runs on supply and demand. If the demand changes so will the supply
Great reply ,should have put more thought into it
I agree, you should not be allowed to park caravans on street♀️. I object to them squashed into front yards as they are an eyesore & not fair to neighbours any more than junk is in a yard! Ok in a back yard, but show some consideration! We have a van and since downsizing our home have to pay to store it, like many others♀️
Good answer. I searched around for 6 months looking for a house I could park my motorhome off the street and down the side in. I wouldn’t expect my neighbours to try to see around it coming out of their driveways if it was parked on the street. It’s dangerous and inconsiderate.
A fair law would be 48 hrs max to load and unload in front of your house, then drive it to a storage facility.
I agree.
Minimum size of a block should be 1000 square metres, all the previous comments are on the mark future housing slums are being built now , that is why I live in a country town with a block 1200 sq metres room for 6 cars,1 caravan 1 boat all off road and undercover, our cities are just like an ant hill and jamed in like sardines
Totally agree. We have always considered our van when purchasing a house. Always parked behind gates on our property
Exactly! If you can afford a caravan or boat then you should have the ability to store it on your property!!
Correct
You can only build to the size of the block. The greedy ones are the developers.
Where i live in a caravan park. There is alot of us who don’t have any where to park one car. And we have to park out on the street. And if your unlucky to get a park on either side, if you can’t you have to park blocks away. Its not good if it’s raining or your not well. And it’s an over 50’s park. The owners run it and have sqized as many vans in that they can. You have to stop in the middle of the road to take your groceries out then go and find a parking spot. Hope the people in the street don’t start complaining or will be stuffed.
Why would you live in a Caravan Park that doesn’t provide parking
Absolutely! The Council maybe should make it a codicil when they permit development that the sites are not suitable for residents with more than one regular size family vehicle and boats, caravans, motorhomes are not permitted! Gives the potential purchaser of the property an option to purchase somewhere else. The other side is, who can dictate to people what they can and can’t own??
The size of house plots for each zone is set by state norms, and councils must abide by these norms.
Unfortunately with residential blocks being so small, parking is & probably will continue to be an issue & the seemingly perpetual increase in caravan/RV ownership compounds the problem..add to this maybe a boat & adult offspring with vehicles & suburban streets become clogged.
We are in WA & built our downsized house on a 500m2 block. At the time we had a vintage Viscount 16’ caravan I’d rebuilt so we designed our house as a 2 story which had half the footprint of a single story. We managed to fit a workshop in the backyard plus undercover parking for 2 vehicles & an undercover area down the side for our caravan (our current van just manages to squeeze into this).
Obviously not everyone finds themselves in a situation where they can design their property to fit their future needs but I can honestly say that for those who want to downsize their house after their offspring have left home it’s a great opportunity to plan for their future.
Personally, IF we weren’t able to store our van on our property we would put it into a caravan storage facility rather than contributing to blocking of residential streets.
Thank you well said and well planed.
We park our motorhome in front of our property whilst we load for a journey and unload after the journey, then it is stored in a secure facility which complies with our insurance contract. I think a lot of people forget about there obligations with insurance.
excellent reply
I have just bought a van, and knowing that I would not be able to store it at my home have put it in a caravan storage area. Yes, it is expensive to store, but it is also irresponsible to have a caravan if you are not prepared to store it responsibly.
Exactly, storage is just part of it like insurance and maintenance. Well done
spot on
When purchasing a van or home you need to work out how to accommodate everything or store elsewhere. Why should your property ie van/motor home become a problem for others/neighbours.
Who needs caravan and boat storage when you can park and leave them in the street for as long as you like?
In Newcastle the storage companies have eliminated van storage in favour of more lockable garage-type units… so greed plays a part in this situation.
However, forget vans and boats!
Cars alone have crowded suburban streets for years… a rental property for three guys opposite soon meant their utes on the street plus three more cars for their girlfriends!!
It won’t be long before THE BIG (one person) CAR ISSUE must be addressed!
Till not having a nominated (and validated) off street parking spot incurs an additional registration fee that will encourage you to do so rather promptly.
Then you will have the eyesore of a front garden becoming a parking lot!
In NSW, the Road Rules indicate “The driver of a heavy vehicle, or a long vehicle, is permitted to stop on a length of road in a built-up area for longer than 1 hour if the vehicle is stopped for a purpose that is ancillary to or connected with the lawful carrying out of a filming project (within
the meaning of the Local Government Act 1993) that is approved under that Act. that to park a long vehicle” , otherwise you are not. A “long vehicle means a vehicle that, together with any load or projection, is 7.5 metres long, or longer.
“Road does not include a road related area, but includes any shoulder of the road.”
I believe there are National road rules that are similar to the above.
Also in NSW councils are permitted to remove unattended vehicles from roads/streets with proper due notice etc. to the owner if they can find them.
Yes but they dont/wont
We store our caravan in a secure compound, in our area there has been several acts of vandalism to trailer/vans/boats. Unfortunately there isn’t enough storage locations for those needing it. Perhaps councils can provide some (with a reasonable rate) on vacant council land?
People should be allowed their Caravans, Motor Homes and the like. And to be prohibited from parking them along the Street is not helpful in there pursuit of something lovely in their lives.
I agree with Jim about Councils supporting availability of unused Council land for cheaper Storage of the Larger Units and vehicles. That seems like a sustainable Plan.
Problem who will move them to mow and clean around the area havent seen a council yet that mows the kerb side grass so would be impossible to get this to happen
Van parking
Don’t buy a van if you can’t park it off the road end of story
Spot on Robert.
The first question when buying a caravan should be, where am I going to store it when I’m not using it. If your property or a friends property is not big enough, don’t buy one. If you not willing to pay for storage costs, don’t buy one.
All this blah, blah, blah on council’s and current block sizes is rubbish, people in apartments still buy caravans and they store them correctly.
So true. Yes we all love the freedom of the road.but a van,motorhome boat. Like pet ownership comes with responsibilities. Try driving a truck down some of thede narrow gitted streets packef with vehicles no fum
We bought a van small enough to fit on our block. Wouldn’tlike to park on the street due the traffic. Would not be long before it got side swipped.. Our street isn’t narrow but if cars are parked on opposite sides of the street you have a stop to let an on coming vehicle pass.
Very complex issue.
In NSW . It is legal to park any REGISTERED vehicle (caravan. Boat trailer etc) on a public street providing it complies with all parking regulations/restrictions. unregistered vehicles CANNOT be left parked on any street.
I am told that in Japan where inhabital land is at a premium, all vehicle owners cannot register their vehicle if they don’t have off street parking adequate for that vehicle.
It is quite reasonable to allow vehicles to be parked on the road but not sored there. That it they should move every 2 months and certainly should not be covered so that their rear reflectors do not show. Other road users need to see these at night or else they are as dangerous as a rubbish skip without reflectors or flashing roadhazard lights.
We pay fuel tax on motorised vehicles to maintain roads. Any vehicle that cannot be self driven, needs to be towed and is parked for long periods on a road is not using the road for trafficable purposes but as a storage facility. It is a cop out to blame anyone else for the need to park on the street. If you can afford the van,trailer or boat then you can afford to store it. Don’t blame others for the decisions you make.
Most people seem to have it. I have many things to store. They are all either at home on-site or in storage. Not on the road. Have respect for other people and your neighbours.
Everybody understands short term and loading for a trip etc. The new trend is rude, dangerous and gets people very much offside.
It will end with a resident permit system and timed parking. This is a pain for everyone.
A caravan just as a car pays for the use of the road, next it will be small trucks, suv’s and similar.
Fair point, although much cheaper to register since they figure it’ll probably get alot less use on the road. Think the main issue here, with the 2 caravans in question, is the fact that seemingly random people parked them infront of someone elses house. I mean, what’s wrong with parking it out front youe own house.
The saying “blame the game not the player” applies here, failure of government to create a financially practical society at multiple levels created the problem. they encouraged housing to become speculative with zero protections for their citizens need for housing driving up prices so the average can’t afford what they actually need. Builders make the houses smaller to make them more affordable which made them less practical like garages only the very smallest cars on the market can fit in meaning zero percent of the average family car can fit in them so they are in the driveway or on the street. Those shut out of the housing market for life are forced to consider living in a caravan or Rv driving up the price of them and also the demand and therefore numbers. I could go on but you get the idea. And if you think its bad now, watch the problem spiral because there are no solutions in sight.
Motorhomes or Caravans should be left at Storage Facilities if they use public roads, when park on roads frequently.* Because, if the resident, has no front yard big enough to fit them on…….Time for Councils to act. Sorry but more than one Caravan is creating unsafe traffic as it obstructs your neighbours normal driveway exit & entrances. (Children or elderly could be walking along pathways & suddenly appear from behind parked Caravans) Start by warning fines to long term owners who park more than 3 mths at a time* ? (Sorry to small house block owners)
Hi all. After reading the comments regarding street parking and seems quite obvious that some people are missing the point completely.
The problem has nothing to do with land size or small blocks. It’s not going to improve until limited time parking is introduced. Council does have the power to implement that. Street Parkers need to appreciate that their selfish act doesn’t pass the pub test. Not acceptable.
We bought our house for our retirement knowing we would buy a Motorhome and wanted to store it at home when not travelling. We love the convenience of tinkering on it and packing up and heading off on a whim. So we looked for a house and block of land that would suit this. Our Encumberance states we must park it behind a 1.8 metre fence off the street and on our property, and to prevent people from seeing it from the street (which makes us laugh as the Motorhome is 3.2 metres high – go figure). So we facted in the cost of the fencing into the price of the Motorhome Purchase. We don’t impact the road or street parking, and to us this was more important than the size of the house. We did what we had to do for our own situation. However, our biggest bug bear is, as others have said, other people can park as many cars as they want out the front of their houses on the driveway and the street and verge, etc, often impacting everyone else and that is acceptable by the council. Grrrrr where is the fairness.
Check with your local council and follow directions before you buy. Too easy
Caravans and motorhomes pay their registration and this is to be able to be parked or stopped on the side of the road. I would think people can call council if unsafe to reverse out of their property as some don’t think of this. The travelling community is large and hope council understand, if registered they have rights also. Voting is another way to get the right counsellors in for every shire.
Just have a 48hour parking zone. Move it every 2 days or get a fine win win for the council
If C-vans ect are registered like cars , they have the same rights as cars. If you are in an area that has no parking restrictions & you are not setting up camp, you can park, rest as you would if in a car.
The problem is, if you’ve got rego and insurance on your caravan or boat you’ve got the same rights as a long term car parked there. I’m i wrong? NO. I rest my case.
Vans & campervans govtmts push to tax houses.&spare rooms..going to devastated people push them to the road cars campervans trailers. So 2026 hard year for50s & up.homeless in sydney
Here’s a thought…. pay for storage of the van/rv as any responsible owner would do
YES!, stop blaming block sizes. If you can’t store it don’t buy it!
Any caravan, trailer or car that is regersted should be able park on the street. For they pay regerstration to use the roads. Next be complaints for towing a caravan on the road.
People will find anything to complain about. Maybe just go and get a life.
Simple answer until the law says I can’t I will continue to park mine on the street.
I had an occupied unregistered caravan parked in front of my house on the street for 2 years
Council and police couldn’t move them, as
It had one wheel removed.
Moreton city council at Deception Bay
If you have to pay registration (taxes) then you have the right to park on the road!
Simple as that!
It’s our roads not the councils road they are paid to maintain our roads, go and fix our roads instead of wasting our money on useless policies, do your job instead, stop trying to concoct ways in order to steal money from us.
Closing down our free camping areas in a concoction with multinational corporations who have purchased all the caravan parks and tripled the prices is bad enough borderline criminal activity?
According to our Constitution, Local Government (Councils) are operating illegal and have no such power to make laws or even exist, in saying this i myself have to deal with one of those neighbours, apart from very long term parking of a caravan on our suburban street this eye saw is a traffic hazard blocking clear sight when leaving my property but out local Council nor the police or even Main Roads inspectors don’t care and the Main Roads inspectors could even give a ticket for a tow ball and electric winch mounted to the front of a Nissan 4X4 station wagon, very illegal but who gives a rats, so all the best of luck with your petition.
Maybe allow squatters rights to caravans, if someone lives in one for 30 days they own it hahaha
It isn’t just parking vans on streets that can attract issues with the council through their local laws.
But there’s the rules that a vehicle whether attached or unattached that is over 7.5m can’t be parked for longer than an hour legally.
7.5m for the total length of a caravan isn’t that big these days, and if you live in one of the most draconian councils in the country like I do (whittlesea council) than they’re all too happy to discriminate against van owners whilst they pack for a trip away, whilst conveniently ignoring the plethora of cars and boats parked in nature strips, rubbish dumped in people’s nature stips and everything else that is technically illegal.
I’ve had an absolute gutful of caravan owners being the scapegoat for people’s perpetual outrage
People with boats, trailers and caravans need to be considerate and not park these vehicles outside other peoples houses, park on or outside your own property.
Registered vehicle and as such are allowed to park on roads.
My opinion is that when you purchase a caravan/ boat/ trailer. you should have already decided where you would park it. In your yard or in a parking area designated for this kind of unit. Not in the street near(?) where you live. There are numerous caravan/ boat parking yards on the coast, and they have security, more than in a random back street!
well in that case it should be also if you purchase a car you should consider where you are going to park the car before you purchase it. I do not have a caravan but if i did i would park it on the road for it would be registed and it would park it on the road. Remember you do not own the footpath or the road outside you propery. any car caravan or trailer that is registed can park on the street. whether it is out side you home or not. There are many people that compain about many things that i call bitch compains and try and change the laws. Australian laws are changing in alot of ways and 3.3 million people are in povity and we do not need to put more stress on the people paying costs for people like you to change the laws about parking in the street. Questing have you ever ownerd a caravan or a trailer
Look I own a big truck tricked out if you can afford 80 grand on a caravan pay to have it stored this was never a problem till millions of grey nomads bought caravan or mobile homes can’t have your cake I don’t eat you are the reason why everything has turned out this way