Caravan owners in southeast Queensland may need to reconsider their parking options as the Sunshine Coast and Gold Coast councils plan to propose new restrictions on on-street parking. This joint motion will be presented at the Local Government Association of Queensland (LGAQ) conference this week. The Sunshine Coast Council receives over 700 complaints each year regarding congestion caused by parked caravans on local streets.

Under current Queensland regulations, trailers can be parked on the street indefinitely if they are no longer than 7.5 meters and weigh less than 4.5 tonnes. Sunshine Coast Mayor Rosanna Natoli emphasized that the issue is primarily a state government matter. "These vehicles are perfectly registered and therefore they can be on the roads," she stated. She suggested that the state government could assist by defining or classifying recreational vehicles within the Transport Operations Road Use Management Act, which currently does not differentiate between vehicle types. This classification would enable councils to establish specific parking limits for different vehicles.

Mayor Natoli also proposed the creation of a new legislative framework, such as an Unattended Property Act, similar to existing laws in New South Wales. "If people are leaving these kinds of vehicles on the sides of the roads for long periods of time, then council has an ability to act," she said.

Transport Minister Brent Mickelberg is expected to attend the conference and acknowledged that this is a concern raised by local residents. "We're happy to work with all councils to help deliver better solutions for their communities," he said. He noted that councils already have some authority to create local laws and expressed willingness to discuss ways to enhance their capabilities in addressing these challenges.

Local residents have mixed feelings about the issue. Sunshine Coast locals Rachel Stubbs and Brendan Hanks are considering purchasing a new caravan, but Mr. Hanks understands the frustrations of residents regarding street congestion. "I think people take a few too many liberties with them," he remarked, noting that some caravans remain parked for months. He added, "They're quite large and they do create visual issues for people — they're hard to see around."

Ms. Stubbs echoed these sentiments, stating that many caravans are becoming unsightly. "Not all of them are brand new and nice-looking, and some of them look like they haven't moved in years and are just taking up space," she said.

Local tradesman Zane Moore expressed concern about how potential changes could affect his ability to park work trailers. "I've got work trailers and stuff that I need to park," he said. However, he acknowledged the issue of congestion caused by some caravans. "Some of these caravans are ridiculous though and the streets are congested just with cars — I don't know what else they can do."

The 129th LGAQ conference will be held from Monday to Wednesday at the Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre. LGAQ CEO Alison Smith explained that councils submit motions for debate and voting ahead of the conference. "If supported by the membership, they become part of the LGAQ's advocacy platform on behalf of councils and their local communities," she said.