Can you park a boat on the street? Australia is divided

If you’re sick of a neighbour’s boat taking up precious parking space on your street, there’s something you should know.

Community Facebook groups across Australia are filled with the frustrations of neighbours whose precious on-street parking has been occupied by boats on trailers.

RELATED: Is it illegal to park across your own driveway?

A particular issue in waterfront cities like Sydney or the Gold Coast, residents often feel helpless in their attempts to have the eyesores or obstructions moved by local councils.   

Jen, a resident in Melbourne's south-east, has been complaining about her neighbour's boat for years, to no avail. 

"I live on a quiet residential street and there is a boat that has been parked on the street for at least 10 years," Jen told Drive. 

"It's clearly no longer seaworthy and sits on a trailer with flat tyres. For two of those years, it’s been parked two inches from my driveway, so I can't see oncoming traffic when backing out. 

"Recently, a second boat popped up – my street looks like a marina and I've been complaining to my council since 2019, but nothing has changed." 

According to Jen, boats using on-street parking is a legal "grey area", with broader road rules often set at a state level, but enforced on a local council level. 

What are the rules for parking your boat on the street in Australia?

Frustratingly, the answer varies depending on where you live, the rules observed by your local council and, occasionally, the size of the boat and trailer.

Some states, like New South Wales, employ a blanket rule requiring boats and trailers to be moved every 28 days or less.

In other states, like South Australia, councils may refuse to issue residential parking permits for boat trailers and large boats must not be parked for longer than one hour on any given street.

Finally, some states – like Victoria, Queensland or Tasmania – impose weight or length limits to determine whether a boat can legally be parked on the street.

Obviously, like regular cars, boat owners must also comply with existing parking restrictions and signage.

Here are the specific road rules for parking a boat on the street in every state and territory of Australia:

Can you park a boat on the street in New South Wales?

Yes – but only for 28 days and as long as it isn’t obstructing traffic or creating a safety issue.

In November 2022, the NSW Government enacted the Public Spaces (Unattended Property) Act, or PSUP Act,  ushering in “harsher penalties for owners of shopping trolleys, unregistered cars and trailers”.

Under the PSUP Act, councils can ask the owner of a “registered vehicle parked safely” (including a boat trailer) to move the trailer if it has been left unattended in one place for more than 28 days.

If the trailer is unregistered it can be moved after 15 days, and if the trailer is creating an obstruction or safety risk, authorities can take possession immediately.

Failure to comply with the council’s request could result in a fine of $660 or a maximum court-imposed penalty of $2750.

Can you park a boat on the street in Victoria?

Yes, you can park a boat on the street in Victoria provided it complies with certain requirements.

As long as your boat trailer is registered, measures under 7.5 metres in length, and weighs less than 4.5 tonnes, it can be parked on the street indefinitely (as long as there are no parking restrictions and the vehicle is parked legally).

Drivers are also required to leave three metres of clearance for passing vehicles.

However, vehicles and trailers that measure over this size threshold can’t be parked on streets for more than an hour.

When a towable vehicle is hitched to a car, the 7.5-metre rule applies to the total length of the two together, so the one-hour restriction on parking will likely apply.

When it comes to the question of parking your boat trailer in a permit zone – this is at the discretion of local councils, but it would be unusual for a council to allow a residential parking permit to be used on boats, trailers or other towable vehicles.

Can you park a boat on the street in Queensland?

“There are no specific rules against parking a boat on a trailer on a road in Queensland,” a spokesperson for Queensland’s Department of Transport and Main Roads told Drive.

“All general parking rules apply, including obeying parking signs and lines, as well as time and area-based parking limits.”

However, Queensland does have rules “restricting the parking of long or heavy vehicles on roads in built-up areas”, and these also apply to boat trailers.

“Any boat trailer that is longer than 7.5 metres, including projections, or heavier than 4.5 tonnes, cannot be parked in a built-up area for more than one hour unless the driver is loading or unloading,” the spokesperson explained.

Much like other states, local governments in Queensland can set their own rules for parking in their area, and may have more specific rules relating to parking recreational vehicles and trailers on roads in their area.

Can you park a boat on the street in Western Australia?

The answer depends on your local government but, as a general rule, most WA councils are fairly strict on parking a boat trailer on the street for an extended period of time.

For example, the City of Nedlands decrees that: “The storage of boats, trailers, caravans, or commercial vehicles on verges is not allowed within the City of Nedlands. The only exception is when the boat, trailer or caravan is attached to a vehicle and is moved every 24hrs.”

Meanwhile, the Town of East Fremantle employs a similar rule when it comes to parking boats on the street:

“If the road/carriageway adjacent to your home is not subject to signposted parking control signs (E.g. No parking or no standing etc.), then you can park as long as it is attached to a registered vehicle and as the vehicle and trailer combination are moved/driven from the parked location every 24 hours,” the council site states.

Can you park a boat on the street in South Australia?

Once again, it depends on the rules imposed by your local council.

“It appears that local councils are individually responsible for issuing residential parking permits. From what I can see, for example, City of Charles Sturt and City of Prospect do not permit parking of boats in residential areas,” a spokesperson for the South Australia Department for Infrastructure and Transport told Drive.

“Heavy or long vehicles must not obstruct other road users or pedestrians, must not be parked on a road in a built-up area for more than one hour unless signposted otherwise, the driver is dropping off goods or local council has granted an exemption.”

Can you park a boat on the street in Tasmania?

“Rule 200 of the Tasmanian Road Rules states that if a car, boat and trailer combination exceeds 7.5 metres in length, it can only be parked on a road for one hour,” a spokesperson for Tasmania’s Department of Police, Fire and Emergency Management told Drive.

If the boat and trailer are less than 7.5 metres, there is no time limit for parking it on a road.

However, in all circumstances, the trailer must have the right reflective equipment and be parked with the flow of traffic.

Can you park a boat on the street in the Northern Territory?

We contacted the Northern Territory Department of Infrastructure, Planning and Logistics, but it was unable to provide any overarching road rules about parking boats on the street in the Northern Territory.

Instead, local NT councils set the parking restrictions and thus the answer will vary by location.

Can you park a boat on the street in the ACT?

“Vehicles can park on streets indefinitely, providing they are registered, roadworthy and complying with the parking laws in the area,” an ACT Government spokesperson told Drive.

“Some vehicles, including boat trailers, must comply with parking laws pertaining to their vehicle type. A boat trailer that is over 7.5 metres in length (a long vehicle) can only park on the street for one hour. The same rules apply to large caravans.”

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