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A Sutherland Shire Council representative informed nine.com.au that concerns were raised about the impact on visual appeal, limited visibility, potential safety hazards, and the extended presence of stored vehicles on public streets.
The council is currently evaluating enforcement strategies within existing legal frameworks, considering suggestions for legislative enhancement, and exploring the possibility of a trial for targeted parking regulations.
Potential measures being considered include installing signs to prohibit the parking of trailers, boats, and caravans in key areas within bustling suburbs such as Cronulla, Woolooware, and Lilli Pilli.
Many residents express support for these proposed changes.
John*, a resident for four decades, remarked that the problem has been escalating for some time.
He owns a boat, car trailer and box trailer, all of which he parks off the street on his property.
Not everyone is as considerate.
“There is one caravan parked at the end of our street making it very dangerous to enter and impossible to pass,” he told nine.com.au.
“It’s even worse on all the local streets in my suburb, having to weave in and out of cars and trailers to avoid oncoming traffic.”
When Como local Darryl reported issues with boats parked on his street to Sutherland Shire Council, officers turned up the very next day.
But even they confessed there wasn’t much they could do, he told nine.com.au.
“Two of the boats near our home are owned by the same non-resident, so when given notice by council they just swapped them around to circumvent the requirements,” Darryl said.
“I’m not against people parking trailers on the street outside their own home.
“But I do not believe parking them away from your own home, or in areas of medium or high density housing where street parking is already at a premium, should be allowed.”
Sally, also from the Shire, claimed one caravan has been parked on a street in Caringbah and causing congestion for about a decade.
She drives past it on Caringbah road almost daily and told nine.com.au cars are constantly having to pull over to let oncoming vehicles squeeze around it.
It also limits visibility in a busy street with multiple schools nearby, she said.
A Gymea local claimed there are more than 10 vehicles, including boats, trailers and campervans, that cause safety concerns on Gymea Bay Road nearby.
“Residents struggle to get out of their driveways due to all these vehicles,” the person, who asked not to be identified, told nine.com.au.
“It is a safety concern.”
John said the issue isn’t isolated to the Sutherland Shire.
Changes in population and housing density, new developments with limited off-street parking, and a lack of space at storage yards affect councils across Sydney.
But addressing the problem isn’t simple.
In NSW, it’s legal for boats, trailers and caravans to be parked near the owner’s home.
It’s also legal to park them on the street not near the owner’s home for up to 28 days.
Owners who overstay the 28-day limit will be notified and risk a $600 fine if they don’t move their vehicle.
But there’s nothing stopping them from moving just a few metres down the road, or moving it for a short time then coming right back.
John wants all councils to implement rules that would require vehicles – be it a trailer, caravan, or boat – to be parked in the direct vicinity of the owner’s property.
He also called for storage parks to be made more affordable, so residents who can’t park their boat, trailer or caravan outside their home can pay to store it.
But some Sutherland Shire locals are vehemently against the proposed changes. 
One, who asked not to be identified, told nine.com.au boat, trailer and caravan owners shouldn’t be penalised for wanting to park their vehicles close to home, nor should they be forced to pay to store them if there’s street parking available nearby.
They argued boats, trailers and caravans should be allowed to park on public streets for as long as they want, so long as they’re registered.
Sutherland Shire Council has not introduced any changes or new restrictions at this stage.
The requested report is due in April and “will allow Council to consider whether any trial measures are appropriate”, the spokesperson said.
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