A Queensland council has called on the state government to tighten restrictions on boats, caravans and trailers parked on Gold Coast streets after “dangerous visibility” for kids playing at local parks was recorded.
Council lifestyle boss Councillor Hermann Vorster told NCA NewsWire the community was concerned about vehicles thresholds in front of parks where children play that affect a child's ability to see the road.
“These (large vehicles) reduce the visibility of those kids playing in their neighbourhood and ultimately put them in danger,” he said.
“Yesterday afternoon at the support and infrastructure committee, the division three deputy major related to the story of a young girl who was struck by a vehicle precisely because of this problem.
“Simmering tension in suburban streets with caravans littering cul-de-sacs means desperate owners are now parking near parks and playgrounds.”
More than 500 complaints have been made by local residents in the past 12 months, a major rise on the 52 annual complaints submitted in the three years prior.
The city’s most littered suburbs include Paradise Point, Pimpama, Palm Beach, Upper Coomera and Southport.
Mr Vorster said the council wanted to outlaw vehicles over 7.5m long fromxjmtzyw parking in front of public parks, near intersections and on suburban streets for long periods.
“We’re not proposing a blanket ban by any stretch of the imagination, but what we would like is for our parking officers to be able to exercise discretion to care specifically if there is a genuine safety concern,” he said.
“We have enough evidence now that they (the state government) need to take a fresh look at the problem.”
Vehicles have been recorded blocking people from exiting their driveways safely and taking up multiple car spaces.
Authorities said they currently have to paint yellow stripes in front of homes to ease congestion and maintain safety.
The trend is expected to get much worse with such vehicles in the city increasing by 7000 in two years.
Council will write to the Department of Transport and Main Roads about force removal of mobile homes.
