The amendment would make it an offence to store or park a caravan, boat or trailer on council land or a road for more than 14 days within any 60-day period. Owners found in breach would face an infringement penalty of two penalty units, equal to $418.12 in 2026–27.
Council says the threshold is designed to allow legitimate short-term use, including loading, preparation and temporary parking, while discouraging the long-term storage of private assets on public land.
The proposed rule would also prevent owners avoiding enforcement by briefly moving a vehicle and then returning it to the same or a nearby location. For enforcement purposes, the 14 days would be counted cumulatively within the 60-day period, and moving the vehicle elsewhere in the municipality would not restart the clock.
An updated procedures and protocols manual says enforcement would generally be complaint-driven. Officers would first seek voluntary compliance, including contacting owners, providing information about the local law and advising on alternative storage options.
If the issue is not resolved, enforcement could escalate to a Notice to Comply and, where required, an infringement or further action. The procedure also allows officers to consider legitimate short-term use, vulnerable people and special circumstances when responding to complaints.
The proposal follows continuing concern about caravans, trailers and boats occupying scarce kerbside parking in inner-city streets, including parts of St Kilda. Council will propose the amendment as part of changes to its local law framework.
Spare a thought ….
Two residents told council the proposed changes could have unintended consequences for people who rely on street parking for boats, caravans and work trailers.
Marcel from Middle Park said he owned a small tinny, which he maintained himself to keep costs down. Before buying the boat, he said, he checked the parking rules and found he could legally store it on the street. He told council local boat storage quotes ranged from $3000 to $7000 a year.
“I simply can’t afford these costs. I’m going to be forced to sell my boat. How is this fair when I followed the rules?” he asked.
He also questioned why trailers could not be managed through a permit system. “If you can have permits for cars, why not trailers?” he said, rejecting council’s argument that such a system would be too complex.
Pam from Ripponlea raised concerns for tradies and others who rely on trailers for their livelihood.
“We’re builders, and we have a trailer. I can see there’s a problem, but I’d like to propose a tweak,” she said. “Please allow registered caravans, trailers and boats to be parked within 100 m of the registered address. This would get rid of trailers from other areas parking around local streets.”
TWiSK suspects we haven’t heard the last of this story – assuming, of course, there are more residents like Marcel and Pam out there than the 188 people who participated in the council engagement.
