Debate flares among harbour residents over boat trailer parking

Residents of a ritzy Sydney suburb have criticised the owner of a boat trailer parked inconveniently, but the man has limited other options.

A boat trailer parked in Mosman has become a source of contention among residents. Picture: ABC News/Palle Lunoe

Fiery debate has erupted among residents of an affluent Sydney suburb where locals have gone after the owner of a boat they believe is causing major inconvenience.

While Palle Lunoe’s vessel is parked legally on a residential street in Mosman, on the city’s north shore, residents claimed in a Facebook post this week it was getting in the way.

“We are having construction done on my house,” the post, which has now been deleted, read.

“It has made two huge deliveries with a crane hard to unload supplies so far.”

Hundreds subsequently weighed in on the discussion, including Mr Lunoe who was baffled at the hysteria his boat trailer had caused.

“I’ve never seen anything like it in my life, over a boat parked on the side of a road,” he told ABC News.

“Traditionally, that’s where trailers go.”

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A boat trailer parked in Mosman has become a source of contention among residents. Picture: ABC News/Palle Lunoe

Mr Lunoe has since moved his boat to an alternate location but has stood by his belief that Mosman should have better parking availability given it bordered the harbour.

“I don’t think a boat is anything unusual, particularly living around Sydney Harbour — it’s very much a part of our life around here,” he said.

“But the councillors are … removing our right to park trailers legally and safely without harming anyone throughout Mosman, but they’re not providing us with an alternative place to park.”

Laureen Ong, the woman behind the Facebook post, told Daily Mail Australia that Mr Lunoe was given approval by her husband to park outside their home, but the couple didn’t expect the boat would be there for so long.

Mr Lunoe thought the uproar was unreasonable.

“My husband thought he was only parking it for, like, a short bit and it wasn’t like it was going to stay here. Everyone just kind of assumed he was fixing something or doing something, but I guess that wasn’t the case,” Mrs Ong told the publication.

“He didn’t say that it was going to be five days. My husband obviously would have said something.”

She claimed the boat made it difficult to get out of her driveway safely with her kids and Mr Lunoe could have parked his boat around the corner where it wouldn’t be in anyone’s way.

Mr Lunoe said he was happy to move the boat but was disturbed by the volume of backlash he had received.

“All she needed to do was write ‘who owns this boat?’ online,” he said.

“It caused an enormous stir. If she had some building going on, I would have just come up to move the boat.

“But everyone goes to 500 per cent anger and acts in rather extreme ways, and the whole community gets involved with 600 per cent anger.”

Registered boat trailers can be parked on the street legally for up to 28 days, except in nine spaces which earlier this month became subject to a four-hour limit.

Mrs Ong said she didn’t realise the boat would stay for so long.

“The issue of boat trailer parking impacts waterside council areas around Sydney. Mosman Council aims to direct boat trailers to areas where they have less impact and provide a more convenient option for trailer owners who would otherwise have to move their trailers on a regular basis to avoid a fine,” a Mosman Council spokesperson said.

“At the 6 September Council Meeting, Council decided to make some minor changes in one specific location, converting nine unrestricted parking spaces occupied by boat trailers in Mosman Bay to 4P (8.30am-6.00pm).

“Mosman Council will review boat trailer management in light of any of legislative changes when a further report is submitted to Council in six months’ time (from the September meeting).”

Mosman councillor Simon Menzies said imposing the limits were necessary but they didn’t solve the broader problem, instead they shifted “the problem to another street”.

He feared large trailers protruding from the side of the road could reduce driver visibility of pedestrians.

“I’m just very fearful that someone will be knocked over, a child will be knocked over, because the driver just couldn’t see them,” he told ABC News.

Originally published as Debate flares among harbour residents over boat trailer parking