Caravan and trailer park crackdown: Gold Coast council stalls on law

Council’s huge crackdown on the parking of caravans, trailers and boats on Gold Coast streets – which came with a warning “keep your big toys in your garage” – has stalled.

THE council’s huge crackdown on the parking of caravans, trailers and boats on Gold Coast streets – which came with a warning “keep your big toys in your garage” – has stalled.

Councillors last month asked officers to consider legal changes which could also prevent residents from moving their boats on to their front yards and enable multiple fines for repeat offenders.

A boat seen parked on a kerb at Upper Coomera. Photo: Regi Varghese.

Officers had considered developing a law which would prevent owners of registered trailers, boats and caravans of an overall length of less than 7.5m being parked on streets for extended periods.

But a report to council’s transport committee today after an investigation by officers found, based on the complaints received across two years, that it was “not a prolific city-wide issue”.

Pathway records showed only 34 councillor requests regarding boats and trailers — and of those, only six led to remedial action.

A check on “hot spots” led to an audit which found only 54 boats, trailers and caravans on those streets, with six bigger than 7.5m and illegally parked.

“There is currently no avenue to legally restrict a specific vehicle type through regulatory signs,” the report said.

Councillor Paul Taylor — disappointed by the report. Picture by Scott Fletcher.

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To introduce a legally enforceable sign, it would need to be designed and approved by the State Government.

Council would also have to amend its laws to ensure officers could undertake compliance.

Officers said the government through letters from the Transport Minister in 2011 and Premier in 2015 had not supported changing road rules.

Broadbeach councillor Paul Taylor during committee debate today said he was disappointed by the report.

“I do believe we can change the local law. I do believe the government can change the local law,” he said.

But Councillor William Owen-Jones said the State’s rules were based on national laws and “we can’t make stuff up”.

Councillor William Owen-Jones — we cannot make up stuff. Picture: Richard Gosling.

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Councillor Hermann Vorster suggested to Cr Taylor that a potential solution was to extend restricted parking in his division to cover areas where caravans and boats were parked for long periods of time.

But Cr Taylor indicated that a survey of residents in one street indicated they did not want restricted parking zones.