Major councils unite in bid to ban suburban caravan parks – realestate.com.au

Australian caravan owners are bracing for a potential parking shake-up, with two major Queensland councils taking the lead in banning recreational vehicles from suburban streets. The move, which will spark a fiery debate at this week’s Local Government Association of Queensland (LGAQ) conference, could force thousands of caravanners to find a new home for their prized possessions.

Sunshine Coast and Gold Coast councils are joining forces to form a united front to tackle what they describe as a growing street congestion crisis.

With more than 700 complaints filed each year on the Sunshine Coast alone about caravans littering residential areas, the issue has reached boiling point.

Under current Queensland law, a trailer can legally occupy a street indefinitely, provided it is less than 7.5 meters long and weighs less than 4.5 tonnes.

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This loophole, councils say, is creating an “eyesore” and a “safety risk” in many neighborhoods, says Sunshine Coast Mayor Rosanna Natoli. the ABC that it was a state government issue.

“These vehicles are perfectly registered and can therefore drive on the road,” she said.

“They (the state government) could help us by defining or classifying these recreational vehicles within the Transport Operations Road Use Management Act, which does not differentiate between vehicle type.

“That would allow councils to set vehicle-specific parking limits. At this point, all rules should apply to the entire local government area and all vehicles.”

Mayor Natoli is calling for a new ‘Unattended Property Act’, similar to legislation in New South Wales, which would give councils the power to take action when vehicles are left on the streets for extended periods of time.

Transportation Minister Brent Mickelberg, who will attend the conference, acknowledged the community’s concerns.

“We are happy to work with all municipalities to help deliver better solutions for their communities,” he said, adding that municipalities already have some local legislative capacity.

“If there is any way we can improve their ability to deal with these challenges, we are happy to have that conversation.”

Queensland is not the first state to tackle overcrowded streets.

In May this year, the City of Charles Sturt made headlines for seeking changes to state law in a bid to crack down on the long-term parking of large vehicles, including caravans, boats and trailers, on residential streets.

The motion was tabled by councilor Peter Ppiros, who called for stronger powers for local councils to tackle the issue.

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A number of municipalities are presenting a united front to tackle what they describe as a growing traffic congestion crisis.

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Between April 2025 and May 2025, the municipality issued more than 100 fines to oversized vehicles that violated parking rules.

In Victoria, long-term on-street parking is generally prohibited without a permit, and even with a permit there are specific rules in place to ensure safety and traffic flow.

While some councils have specific time limits for on-street parking, such as the seven-day limit for certain large vehicles, including caravans, other councils are moving towards requiring permits for long-term storage on public land to manage issues such as visibility and safety.

In New South Wales, on-street caravan parking is permitted for registered vehicles of less than 7.5 meters and a GVM of 4.5 tonnes, provided they do not obstruct driveways, junctions or footpaths.

However, that doesn’t mean they don’t cause problems.

The Northern Beaches Council told Yahoo News last year that boats, trailers and caravans parked on the side of the road were the most complained about problems.

According to Yahoo News, Northern Beaches Council received approximately 288 customer requests in 2024 alone regarding the parking of boats, trailers and caravans in on-street locations across the LGA.