Major councils unite in bid to ban suburban caravan parking

Aussie caravan owners are bracing for a potential parking shake-up, with two major Queensland councils spearheading a push to ban recreational vehicles from suburban streets. The move, set to ignite a fiery debate at this week’s Local Government Association of Queensland (LGAQ) conference, could force thousands of caravanners to find new homes for their prized possessions.

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

With the Sunshine Coast alone fielding over 700 complaints annually about caravans cluttering residential areas, the issue has reached boiling point.

Under current Queensland law, a trailer can legally occupy a street indefinitely, provided it’s under 7.5 metres long and weighs less than 4.5 tonnes.

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This loophole, councils argue, is creating an “eyesore” and a “safety hazard” in many neighbourhoods, with Sunshine Coast Mayor Rosanna Natoli telling the ABC that it was a state government issue.

“These vehicles are perfectly registered and therefore they can be on the roads,” she said.

“They (state government) could help us by defining or classifying those recreational vehicles within the Transport Operations Road Use Management Act, which doesn’t distinguish between the type of vehicle.

“That would allow councils to set vehicle-specific parking limits. At the moment, any rules have to apply to the whole local government area and all vehicles.”

An increasing number of Aussies are fed up with caravans being parked long-term on suburb roads.

Mayor Natoli is advocating for a new “Unattended Property Act,” similar to legislation in New South Wales, which would empower councils to act when vehicles are left on streets for extended periods.

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

“We’re happy to work with all councils to help deliver better solutions for their communities,” he said, adding that councils already possess some local lawmaking capacity.

“If there is a way we can enhance their ability to deal with these challenges, we’re happy to have that conversation.”

Queensland isn’t the first state to tackle overcrowded streets.

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

The motion was put forward by councillor Peter Ppiros who called for tougher powers for local councils to deal with the issue.

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

Between April 2025 and May 2025, the council handed out more than 100 fines to oversized vehicles breaking parking rules.

In Victoria, parking long-term on streets is generally prohibited without a permit, and even with a permit, specific regulations apply to ensure safety and traffic flow.

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

In New South Wales, parking a caravan on the street is permitted for registered vehicles under 7.5 meters and 4.5 tonnes GVM, provided they are not obstructing driveways, intersections, or footpaths.

However, that’s not to say they aren’t causing issues.

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

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

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