At the March Lane Cove Council Meeting, a recommendation was put forward to seek community consultation about a proposal to legislate boat trailer parking regulations on public streets in Lane Cove. In the Cove knows this is a hot topic, because when we posted about boat trailer parking in Lane Cove our Facebook Post went off.
What is the Lane Cove Council Proposing?
Lane Cove Council wants to take action when a boat trailer has been in the same on-street location for more than 28 days. This is different to the current law which only permits rangers to impound a vehicle or a trailer where the ranger believes, on reasonable grounds, that the vehicle or trailer has been abandoned or left unattended.
Why is Lane Cove Council Proposing this Parking Reg?
The proposed legislation attempts to regulate boat trailer parking on public roads, as boats on trailers are currently treated like cars and are able to be parked in accordance with standard parking restrictions. Boat owners are using on-street parking as a long-term parking solution for their boats and in some cases; this has led to concerns about loss of local streetscape amenity and increased road safety risks. Currently, in New South Wales, there are 204,000 boat trailers registered with Roads & Maritime Services. This number is forecast to increase by around 3% over the next decade.
For the calendar year 2016, Council received on average 4 complaints per month in relation to boat trailers. The complaints were across the LGA and generally related to loss of amenity in terms of local streetscape or concerns about non-residents parking their trailers in their street.
The 28-day relocation / moving provision is intended to ensure that boat owners return to their on-street parked boat and trailer at least monthly so as to check on its condition, and acts as a disincentive to persons residing outside the local area. It is believed that if someone has to move their boat every 28 days they are more likely to park their boat near their place of residence.
How will the Regulations Be Interpreted?
The legislation prescribes that boat trailers are to be moved at least every 28 days. To be regarded as having “moved” the trailer must be moved:
“Along the same road and pass an intersection with another road. An intersection with a road related area is to be disregarded for the purposes of this subsection unless it is related to a different road.”
Should a ranger observe a trailer has not moved within the previous 28 days, they must give 15 days’ notice to the owner to move the trailer so as to avoid impounding. If Council does not receive any correspondence from the owner after the 15 days’ notice period, Council would instruct its service provider to remove the trailer. The trailer would be then held for a further 28 days at Council’s impounding yard. The trailer would then be sold through an auction process if the trailer is not claimed within the specified time frame.
When will the Regulations commence?
The Lane Cove Council must first consult with the local community regarding the intended implementation of the legislation, and liaise with neighboring councils, as the implementation of a 28-day parking limit restriction may have the effect of just moving the problem onto another neighbouring Council.
The community consultation is designed to inform and raise awareness about the proposed introduction of changes to the parking arrangements for boats on trailers / boat trailers. Any comments received during exhibition will be reviewed and evaluated to determine whether or not to proceed with the introduction of these legislative changes.
When we last raised the issue of boat parking on In the Cove facebook page it was a hot topic and here are some of the comments.
We have a boat and would love to have a property big enough to house it but we don’t.
We use our boat at least every 2nd weekend in the summer & store it in a storage facility in the winter to try and make it easy on our neighbours in our dead end street.
Last summer we even put the 2 left wheels on the kerb to make it easier for the rubbish truck as neighbours generally have cars parked on both sides of the road.
That was until we received a $250 fine from the council?
Due to that, the boat is now parked back completely on the road – Sorry Nice Rubbish Man…
People need to realise that a lot of boat owners actually park their boats in front of their houses and if they are forced to move them every 28 days they will be parked in front of some other residents house and I’m sure that won’t please residents and cause more upset. So everyone who is complaining you could end up with the boats in front of your houses for 28 days good luck
Maybe council should stop changing laws and let boat owners park on council strip. Mostly they are certainly wide enough. Or this city should try a little infrastructure development. We are allowing all this crazy apartment development. How about choose a few boat ramp points and develop a multi story boat facility. Encourage a life style and stop confusing people with constant law changes
People pay rates, taxes, rego, insurance etc etc, let people park their boats where they want (legally of course)…….less complaining more getting along needed. Rant over.
How Can I Have My Say on the New Regulations?
The results of the community consultation will determine whether Council will implement the Impounding Amendment (Unattended Boat Trailers) Act 2015 after 1 July 2017. Until then, Lane Council Council will maintain its current practice of not issuing parking permits for boat trailers.
To find out more you can view the background documents including the Council Report and Resolution via Council’s online exhibition.
To have your say on this proposal, you can make a submission to the General Manager quoting ‘Implementation of Legislation to Manage
Boat Trailer Parking – SU4145’ by:-
- Post: PO Box 20, Lane Cove 1595;
- Fax: 9911 3600; or
Submissions close Wednesday 21 June 2017
What do you think? Should the 28-day rule apply? Should boat owners be allowed to park on the nature strip outside their house?
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