Revealed: Shocking number of cars dumped on Brisbane streets
Ratepayers are forking out thousands to pay for the removal of close to 11,000 abandoned vehicles that were removed from Brisbane streets last financial year. SEE THE WORST SUBURBS
An astonishing number of cars are being dumped on streets in Queensland tourist towns each year, leaving ratepayers to pick up the bill to get rid of them.
Cairns and the Gold Coast have long been plagued by old cars abandoned by backpackers, but new figures have revealed Brisbane was not immune from the problem, with 10,994 vehicles removed last financial year.
Almost half (4833) were unregistered and nearly as many were deemed abandoned (4278), Brisbane City Council figures showed.
Just over 200 vehicles had previously been reported to the council, which last year fielded 12,079 calls about dumped cars.
It was a time-consuming process for councils to tow unregistered vehicles because the owners first had to be identified.
Currently, it took Brisbane City Council 42 days to remove unregistered vehicles, more than twice as long as those that were registered.
Councils could recoup some of their costs by selling the vehicles, with Logan City Council raising about $100,000 earlier this year after auctioning 55 impounded cars.
Coorparoo topped the list of suburbs where Brisbane City Council took action to remove dumped cars last financial year, followed by New Farm and Moorooka.
Nundah, for years a popular dumping ground for overseas tourists leaving cars on the streets before flying home, came in at number four.
Brisbane Airport Corporation has also faced a significant problem for many years.
Last year about 50 cars were dumped at its carparks.
“Every year, a number of vehicles are abandoned, often by tourists who finish their lap around Queensland, park their car and jump on an overseas flight, never to return,” a BAC spokesman said.
“Frequently the registration has lapsed and the vehicles are in poor condition.
“Our parking team make every effort to locate owners.
“Over the course of a year, if these efforts are unsuccessful, abandoned cars are sold in compliance with strict government regulations.
“Any money remaining after fees are deducted goes to the Commonwealth.”
Private carpark operators also faced the same issues.
Earlier this year, a Facebook post of a 1990s Nissan Maxima 30G parked at Uptown shopping centre in the Queen St Mall went viral after revelations it had been left at the pay-on-exit car park in 2022.
If the owner ever decided to collect it, they theoretically faced an estimated $76,000 parking fee.
Brisbane City Council civic cabinet chair for customer services, Sarah Hutton, had a clear message for owners: “Abandoned cars don’t belong on Brisbane streets’’.
“They take away from the character of our suburbs and create safety risks, which is why we act to remove them,’’ Ms Hutton said.
“Sometimes a vehicle can be reunited with its owner, but when it’s been dumped we step in because it’s not fair for our community to be left cleaning up after someone else’s neglect.
“But we can only act if we know about it. So if you spot an abandoned or unregistered car, report it to us straight away.’’
Council deemed a vehicle to be abandoned if it was unregistered and had been left for more than 24 hours in a short-stay parking bay, or for more than seven days in a parking bay where the time was not limited.
Council could seize and remove abandoned vehicles and those left unclaimed could be sold at auction.
To report an abandoned vehicle in Brisbane, contact the council call centre on 3403 8888 or use their online reporting tool to provide the location.
