As the popularity of caravanning and motorhoming booms, the number of rigs being parked long-term on public streets appears to be growing … and it’s causing angst in some quarters.
When ‘travellers’ aren’t on the road, it seems plenty are choosing to leave their vans parked on the street outside their homes … or sometimes not outside their homes.
Adelaide’s western suburbs has become the latest flashpoint for this ongoing battle between those who say there’s nothing wrong with parking a legally registered vehicle on a public street where there are no specific parking restrictions, and those who say parked trailers, boats and other large vehicles often affect driveway access, visibility and on-street parking availability.
Multiple caravans are often parked on suburban streets. PIC: Cizza
Charles Sturt Council now plans to write to Transport Minister Tom Koutsantonis, seeking a review of laws that would allow council to enforce long term parking controls on vehicles parked on council roads.
The Adelaide Advertiser reports that councillor Peter Ppiros, who put up the motion, said he had received ongoing complaints about long‐term parking of vehicles on council‐managed streets within his ward.
Staff, in council documents, said ‘our streets are not intended for the long‐term storage of personal items such as caravans and trailers’.
“We regularly receive complaints from the community about these vehicles impacting traffic lane width, driveway access, visibility, and the availability of on‐street parking,” staff said. “At present, our options to respond are limited, so we would support an initiative that enables us to better manage this issue.”
A Local Government Association (LGA) spokesperson told the Adelaide Advertiser the association would welcome a broader conversation with the State Government about whether the current rules work.
“Extended parking of vehicles with caravans or trailers on suburban streets can reduce visibility, block driveways and take up space in built-up areas where on-street parking is already tight,” the spokesperson said. “As our suburbs and lifestyles change, the laws need to keep pace.”
Last year, members of the Local Government Association SA agreed to lobby planning authorities to make garages in new houses bigger to to address issues around on-street parking.
In a statement to The Advertiser, Transport Minister Mr Koutsantonis said he ‘will consider any request from any council’ and looked forward to seeing the proposal.
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Boy you reckon you guys have problems. In my shire in WA you arnt even allowed to park your caravan on your own verge and I mean off the street. My verge is massive about 10 meteres wide so way off the street and I’m still not allowed to park my caravan there!
this is part of my reply, councils love being our masters and do not abide by anybody criticising them.
the neighbours hopefully have communication and if there was a real problem it could be worked out, the last THING ONE WANTS IS HELP from the government as I said it will be nothing short of
a draconian solution.
Parking any vehicle between the gutter and fence line is generally not allowed anywhere in Australia.
If that’s the case then us property owners or people that live in a house shouldn’t have to mow the median strip council should
I agree
And then your rates will go up to cover the council costs
Sounds right..the verge,which generally provides a foot path…for pedestrians.
Even parking on your driveway that block pedestrians is not allowed..yet rarely enforced..as pedestrians may be required to walk on road .
I believe you don’t have to mow the public verge..generally people do..unless you want long grass ,weeds growing..councils will mow it ,eventually..at council/ratepayer cost.
I recall watching an RBT show and police booked a driver for parking on verge/footpath…so it must be illegal..
If you don’t pay for it don’t park on it.
That doesn’t seem fair. That is part of your property, that you paid for.
NO. He means on the nature strip outside his property. Not on his property
In Brisbane, the land between the fence line and the road is council property. Parking is illegal & they have to maintain it.
That’s gustarpo bull crap what is happening to put free country . Council in years to come will collapse and be around no more . We pay rego like our cars . If they are really concerned they should have big open areas where we can park our vans as they get bigger in size amen
Get over it. You want parking for private vehicles go pay for it
We do pay for it, it’s called rates and road taxes !
Yup. I understand the angst among other residents. We’ve spent money to widen our driveway to accept our van, and now the neighbour parks his new van on a corner blocking the road view for road users and causing a hazard. It seems he never considered the need to park his new van when he bought it. It comes back to responsibility, respect for others and neighbourhood friendship, goodwill and sensitivity. New age generations have no clue.
I totally agree. Every house we’ve purchased over the decades we’ve made sure there was adequate off-street parking for all of our vehicles, boat & caravan. Our current & hopefully final home we built ourselves & it has under cover parking for all of our gear. Caravans are too expensive to buy new then leave out in the weather for long periods when not in use. The sun damages the roof sealing & it’s not until it rains will the owner realise there’s a problem.
Our road is only 4.2m wide & if caravans were parked along the road it would cause chaos…..Being so narrow, it’s chaotic already during summer due to our WA coastal/river location
Nailed it!
If you’re going to have caravan make sure you have a suitable place to park it. The road is not the place! Here in WA it is against council rules to leave an unhitched trailer of any description parked on the road.
I probably should clarify that I don’t wish to park my caravan on the street but on my verge which is part of my property between the letterbox and the curb. The caravan would be 5 meters from the verge! Fortunately I have the space to park it in my large driveway but it is a pain to back it up the sloping driveway.
Perhaps you were not aware that verge land does not belong to home owners, but to the council. That is why they can make rules about how it is used.
Maybe we should all be sending the councils a bill for mowing and maintaining the verge out the front of every property
You can try. many have!
In Sa if you don’t want to maintain the verg council come and spray so nothing grows.
All hail big brother!!
Pretty hazardous. Lots of big vehicles seem to do it. These places offering caravan etc. parking will do well out of it.
We have store our vans and motorhomes in storage, either on our blocks or storage areas. People should think where and how they are going store their rigs begore buying.
Exactly. It’s only common sense. if you can’t park it on your property then you need to pay for a storage site. Or don’t buy a van .
People should be required keep their “toys” in their own property. Preferably cars, boats, kayaks and dinghies as well. These public spaces where never intended for long term storage. Not only are they a nuisance in terms of visibility but they really make the streets look sooo ugly.
your opinion is councils should bash every caravan owner parking on the street with the money book, (it is thick) as YOU consider it unsightly, I mentioned something related in an earlier reply
The streets are narrower now the blocks are smaller and the houses are bigger
Totally agree last year wente to sydney could not beleive how many boats were parked on streets
If you haven’t got room within your own premises don’t hav a caravan/ Rv
I think this sums it up in one sentance!!
Ditto
So only people who have a decent sized block of land are permitted to own RVs? Those in units and current tiny suburban blocks miss out?
With my deepest respect Marg, where would you like to park your RV,? Surely not across your neighbours property entrance , or worse, in front of his nature strip?. Or pay for your RV storage like many, many other people have to do in your situation!!!
Not necessarily. There are plenty of storage facilities out there. You need to consider that into the equation before making your purchase.
People in units can have RV’s as long as they pay to store them somewhere else besides on a narrow suburban street.
governments love fear! this is another example, sure there may have been complaints like when the government took away absolutely free medication for the retired and desperate, they cited ONE case where somebody with dementia had cupboards full of medication, and this would be so rare.
So it is a case of convincing people to hate the others (caravaners, in this case, otherwise refugees, the unemployed etc.) and bring in what laws, they will be draconian at best.
Though there is an issue at times with large vehicles and caravans blocking a proper view when driving out of the driveway, this would not be an issue in a residential setting or too much as it would be outside the owner’s house, the neighbours hopefully have communication and if there was a real problem it could be worked out, the last THING ONE WANTS IS HELP from the government as I said it will be nothing short of a draconian solution.
I would go one step further and say most complainats are just driving by and can not stand the sight of caravans!!
Respect your take on this issue, but in my neighbourhood, we had a major issue with Rvs blocking half the Street and blocking others front parking spaces. We did exactly what you’ve endorsed & spoke to our neighbour directly about this issue, only to be told, bugger off mate, if my vehicle is registered, I can park it up wherever I Like!!! If that’s the attitude toward this issue, then I rest my case. I’m going for their heels!!!
Parking on Suburban Streets of Caravans , Motor homes, Trailers, Trucks should Not be allowed. You can seek out Storage for these vehicles when they are not being used. It is a hazard for drivers of normal sized vehicles and Pedestrians.
Easy to say just get storage. Storage is not available in a lot of areas. Councils have become Big Brother in the worst ways possible. Councils allow developers to build suburbs with skinny streets to maximise $$$. Then fine people for safely parking on verges. What is wrong with parking on a verge as long as foot traffic can pass safely. Then you also have the Councils that want you to get a permit to park your caravan on your property. Case in point recently where a woman was fined for sleeping in her van on her property whilst she had renovations done. I slept in my RV on my property while I waited for my furniture to arrive. At no time did I consider I may have to get a permit to do so. Does anyone else think that Councils overstep the mark.
Yes
They sure do over step the mark, they forget they are there to serve people not to continually make life difficult.
Yes
Yes. I thought that was a bit precious.
I guess someone complained, so the council had to act.
It’s also a matter of economics. Storage would be out of my price range. I would have to stop the very thing that keeps me young and healthy.
I’m sorry but the law is the law. If you’re allowed to do it by law then we can’t argue. It works both ways. If you’re with in the law then you can’t then bag out anyone working with in the current laws. Those that use this parking have bought a van knowing they were within their rights to do so. It’s a set precedent that many have outlayed a lot of money to do so and have no other choice. If they’re legally parked then they are not blocking driveways or roadways. No arguement.
We can argue and change the law. To say there is no other choice is a cop out. They could lease storage, move house or sell the van.
Id like to see a law that said no disconnected trailers left on the street at all.
We never needed this law before because people would store their property on their property. These days people are selfish and are happy to use a public asset for their own benefit only thus denying the asset to the rest of the public beacuse “its not illegal”.
Thus we should change the law so it is illegal.
Matt, can’t beat the class of 66.Thoroughly agree.
This is why the laws need to be changed,road are for driving on not for storage of everyone’s crape.
Exactly.
There’s worst things in life than to worry about the caravaners – and where they park.
…seriously… Let them be!
….find something else to “pick on” AND make our communities safe, like stop the car thieves, abusers and drugs deals…
Personally I would never park a caravan on a street long term. You pay thousands for these caravans and if they are stolen you scream the loudest. That’s not the point though. Caravans and motorhomes obstruct the view of drivers ,roads aren’t wide enough to park on .it’s your caravan your responsibility not anyone else’s . It shows a complete lack of respect of your neighbours and other road users. Council should fine caravan owners parking on streets.
Yep roads aren’t wide enough Full Stop. Councils allow developers to build suburbs with skinny streets. Caravans are registered vehicles and as such have a right to use street parking. Waste management vehicles, the ever increasing delivery trucks, Aust Post, Woolies, Coles etc just love driving into these suburbs NOT.
Helen, you are spot on.
Yes there should be very specific restrictions. I have personally had some issues with caravans causing dangerous conditions close to my home. People should consider their safe storage ability for these vehicles before they buy them & not impose issues on other people.
I have read the first 7 comments so far and it appears this site may be currently littered with inveterate wingers. The development rules set by state govt’s have for too long allowed too narrow streets as a way to improve developers bottom lines at the expense of adequate road widths. A friend of mine has a home on a road that is less than TWO cars wide and drivers have to manoeuvre over the dish drain onto the verge to pass.You pays your rego. and you get EQUAL ACCESS to all the trafficable roads in Australia.Personally we have a 1220 SqMtr block and no problems and good neighbours.
If parking on the street for ANY vehicle was limited to 48 hours, the problem would resolve without private transport being unfairly affected. Vans boats etc go find storage facilities, cars being used regularly would still have access to homes.
Living in an older suburb the blocks are bigger. It seems to me the council’s are to blame for this problem as now homes are allowed to be built closer to the footpaths. In some cases you would be lucky to have enough room to park a car In front of the garage, let alone a four wheel drive vehicle. So motor homes are out as well as caravans. No front lawns anyone so council’s need put home buildings further back on the blocks again as in the past. Their fault!
I’m a retired traffic engineer who worked for many years in local govt. Our findings were that on-street parking not only reduces the speed on local streets but also traffic volume. We encouraged it.
We moved from bush to rural town, it had to have side access, a shed and room for our 23ft rig as most places now the streets are too narrow anyway, we ended up building from scratch as it turned out cheaper than buying something already built and overpriced… No way would I leave my van or boat on the street, I don’t like leaving my tug in the driveway and we are crime free for the most part.
We were paying $290 per month to store our camper trailer. In six months that went up twice to $346. Storage facilities can charge whatever they like, they’re in high demand. Fortunately a neighbour offered us a spot for free. Insurance coverage is increased if you tell the insurer it’s on the street, and if you don’t, then you risk paying a penalty or having your insurance declined. It’s difficult if you live in a small place with one garage space but want your van to escape in, storage is a big problem. Downsizing is fine, but you downsize your storage too.
If you can’t park your caravan there than you should not be allowed to park your ev there beside a newly installed charger, some of those people think they own them, what’s good for the goose is good for the gander
It is not just Caravans, Boat trailers, Trucks, box trailers and other vehicles.
In our street there are a few Houses rented out and due to the housing shortage, most are shared by up to six people. That means six more cars each house to park. Each house has only one or two parking spaces to be shared so where do the other cars park? On the street. In our suburb units approved for families and couples are built with 1+1/2 car spaces; go figure!
Just another money making scheme dreamed up by local councils. It’s not just in Adelaide, I’ve seen Sydney Councils doing the same thing.
Hi, a surcharge payable to your local council, based on the length and width of any vehicle without a documented off street parking space allocated/permitted should discourage such long term squatters.
No vans etc shouldn’t be parked on streets. It’s a hazard and an eye sore .
Well, if housing developments comprised of blocks of land bigger than a postage stamp, the owners of the street-parked vehicles would be able to accommodate said vehicles within the boundaries of their own properties.
It’s sad that whenever someone who show no consideration for the rest of the community
That’s is those that have boats, trailers caravans etc on suburban streets here’s that the should not have them parked on the streets, the cry control and revenue raising echoes
The reality for those selfish individuals is if you do t have somewhere to park it then don’t get it why should the rest of the community be impacted by your selfishness
I like others in this discussion have ensure that every home I have lived in has the room for all my items trailered boats extra cars etc so that I don’t impact my neighbours and the rest of the community
But hay I must be unreasonable
So yes I believe there should be no parking on suburban streets for trailers boats and cravens etc
Sorry, but if you are buying the van, then YOU should also be responsible for the cost of storing it (and parking it on the street should not be your solution).
I live in an apartment and have been looking at van options, and simultaneously researching storage options for said vn, and have no intention of a solution that means parking it on already overcrowded streets.
Saying it’s not illegal is a lazy, inconsiderate, cop out, and quite frankly, is incredibly childish. Can we please stop being so selfish in our opinions/actions and remember that there are other people in the world…..
Some people love to complain if opportunity come knocking they would complain about the noise
With the growing number of traditional size house blocks being carved up for dense housing projects the parking of any vehicles on suburban streets is becoming a problem. Long term parking (4 hours?)of any vehicle on the street needs to be banned. Many of the streets should have parking on one side only, we live on a bus route and I recently witnessed a situation where a bus was blocked because of vehicles parked on both sides.
If they take our parking on the street away why are we paying for registration fees?
Most country towns are only still surviving because of travellers.
Travelers spend billions every year, take that away from us we will go and travel overseas and spend our money elsewhere!
Should make new houses have more than 1 small car park, every home has more than 1 car residing within…maybe caravens would be able to be parked on the premises if this was the case
Why not use storage yards to yard the caravan, campervan etc while not in use ,it might cost you a fee but included in that fee is insurance to cover the unit ,isn’t better to be contained in a secure yard under insurance than on the street ,
We have people parking several vans and trailers on the street, and even connecting power cables to them and living in them. Long term. They’re vecoming a satefty hazard. Park your own van on yiur own property. The street is public property and not a caravan park.
we have a ten metre verge which we have to maintain, surely we should be able to use it ourselves too. Councils can’t have it both ways. I agree we should allow a walkway but if we store a vehicle or trailer without it impinging on foot traffic , thats reasonable.
You pay for registration on your van,boat,trailer to be used on all roads weather you use it a lot or a little you have paid to use the road.
Councils have to accept much of the responsibility for this problem they have allowed developers to cram houses into smaller and smaller blocks and build roads that are way to narrow, this leaves little choice for many as storage facilities are very expensive over the long term. Just because many of us scrap together enough to buy an RV or Caravan etc, doesn’t mean we are loaded, it means we can’t afford expensive hotels and over seas trips. We do however, like to use our limited means to travel and get some enjoyment out of life. It easy to bring in more and more restrictions which is government philosophy but that doesn’t solve the problem.
I believe if you pay rego to have a vehicle on the road therefore you should be allowed to leave said vehicle on the road.
I agree that long term parking/storage of vans trailers and boats in the street should be stopped. If you are going to buy an item make sure it fits in your yard or find paid storage for it. A week while you are getting* ready for a trip will be fine. The rest of the time.. no way.
The on road parking problem is as much caused by residents and particularly tenants who have 5 cars per household but garaging for two… if Councils want restrictions, they MUST not discriminate!
If they are going to crack down on caravans parked long term in the street they may as well target every other vehicle. In our town you often come across cars and light trucks that have not been moved for some time,
A positive out of it is that it slows traffic down.
Those huge caravans are a Pain in the a$$e for traffic controllers and people trying to work on the roads too !
I spend most of my time travelling, but I returned home to my granny flat for a few months last year. On my street there are several parking bays, probably for the adjacent bushland. I parked there on a Friday. On the Sunday I found a warning sticker telling me that I was facing a fine if my campervan was not moved. On the Monday I telephoned and spoke to a very unfriendly lady at the council and asked if I could park on the verge outside my home, between the footpath and kerb, obstructing neither. She said absolutely not and said that she would ask the ranger to speak to me. Later that day my DIL saw the ranger driving past. I never heard another word, no fine forthcoming. (Sometimes rangers are nice guys.) I hope he’s as friendly when I return again in a few more months.
Easy fix the council or main road should have a parking area with a small fee an does not matter if it is short term or long as long as you are payed up to date.I have 2 van an 2 trailers .but live on a larger block. But the blocks today are so small,you can’t swing a cat in them ,so council have made their own problem…..It’s all just money and not thinking ahead a what problem will arise …the other thing is the development must have a parking allotment so everyone in the estate can park a van or trailer or boat.
Absolutely. I pay big money which I cannot afford to store my caravan. I could find a quiet street to park it but that is so wrong
On the central coast The Entrance area street parking is a night mare for cars add caravans and trailer not enough parking. I have an RV and mine is kept in my yard so I don’t affect anyone else. Store it or keep it in your yard stop being selfish.
NO, it is registered and legal
Maybe if council planning made more room between housing this problem would not arise , the old 1/4 acre block would not have the problem we have now . Cram as many houses in the smallest place possible and this is just one of the problems .
As if Australia is short of space . No , it is pure greed
Agreed this is a problem But not in agreement with council having autonomy in implementing restrictions This really needs to be put to the house owners who maintain their own nature strip’s & a flexible agreement should be sorted from there As mentioned in article “As our suburbs lifestyles change so should the laws” & So Should Councils Aswell with all decisions & consultations from Councils acted upon within 30 days & not get tied up in Red Tape
My mother’s road is a absolute eyesore with caravans, boats, trailers, trucks parked all the way from one end to the other. Most of the owners of these vehicles don’t even live in the street but in the estate backing onto it. Most paid over the million dollar plus mark for their properties but somehow can’t afford storage for their toys. Disgusting disrespect for the residents who’s view is now a used vehicle parking lot.
do the street Parker notify their insurance company they park on the street,