Residents living in beachside suburbs in parts of Australia are growing fed up with caravans and campervans hogging precious kerbside parking as more and more Aussies opt for epic road trip adventures across the country.
With summer and the holiday season a prime time to visit some of the country’s best beaches, locals near Bokarina Beach on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast say it’s “inconsiderate” and “frustrating” to see travellers use their streets to park large vehicles, instead of caravan parks or dedicated parking areas — even if they’re visiting friends of family in the area.
Airing their frustrations on social media, one local shared photos of a caravan parked in a designated parking bay along their street, which is close to the beach. Residents often “struggle” to find a space for their own cars where parking is “already limited” some say.
“We are struggling with car park spaces and we really don’t need long-time camping vans in our street,” one person said suggesting the vehicle had been parked there for some time. “For the record, camping outside allowed camping areas are not allowed anymore in Queensland.”
Some online suggested people were even using the caravans while parked in suburban areas.
Caravan parking issue felt across Australia
It’s understood that complaints about caravans and campervans parked in non-allocated areas is a growing issue across the Sunshine Coast region. A travel boom has also contributed to parking struggles across the Noosa Shire region, further north.
In fact, according to the reporting app Snap Send Solve, “the issue is becoming increasingly widespread,” CEO Danny Gorog told Yahoo News Australia.
Beachside suburbs across Queensland, and other parts of Australia, have experienced an influx of caravanners visiting the area. Source: Google Maps/ Facebook
Council explains caravan parking rule in beachside area
But unlike in Noosa where council is clamping down on long-term caravan stays in parking lots around its beaches, the Sunshine Coast Council said there’s not much they can do when it comes to street parking as it’s perfectly legal.
“According to the Queensland road rules, registered vehicles such as caravans, trailers, boats and vehicles are permitted to remain safely parked on the road indefinitely, except where parking restrictions apply,” a spokesperson told Yahoo.
However, “vehicles, including caravans, parked in suburban streets must leave a 3-metre clearance for other vehicles, not park within 10m of an intersection without traffic lights and must not park on yellow lines or in no stopping areas,” they added.
Council officers actively patrol these areas, and vehicles parked unlawfully may receive an infringement notice. “The on-the-spot penalty for parking contrary to these requirements is $120,” council confirmed.
Locals rage over limited parking in residential streets
Agreeing it’s an issue in their area, another Sunshine Coast local suggested, that while it’s not illegal, people visiting in caravans should consider caravan parks.
“Taking up residents’ designated temporary visitors parking in an area with limited parking is inconsiderate,” they said
“Also residents who own camper vans, trailers etc should be parking them on their own premises or in storage unit, and not in other residents’ designated visitors car parks,” they added — a sentiment also expressed by Sydneysiders in populated suburbs where boats and trailers are also an issue.
“This is very frustrating when you have visitors visiting for the day or weekend and they can’t get a park due to other inconsiderate people permanently parking their campervans, trailers, the angry resident continued — and others agreed.
Caravans parking on residential streets is a growing problem across Australia as shown here in two seperate NSW locations. Source: Facebook
Larger vehicles must be stored ‘at an approved storage site’
Across Australia, while caravans are allowed to be parked on residential streets, larger recreational vehicles over 7.5 metres can not be — and fines apply.
One family learned the hard way narrowly escaping a hefty $1,600 fine for breaching the little-known parking rule. They’d parked their RAM 4WD and caravan outside a friend’s property for more than hour.
“For those visiting the region over the festive summer season, council encourages travellers to make arrangements to store large recreational vehicles, over 7.5 metres, at an approved storage site,” the Sunshine Coast Council told Yahoo this week.
“Any vehicle longer than 7.5 metres cannot be legally stored on public land for longer than one hour.”
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