18th December, 2018

The Queensland edition.

Source: The Daily Mail

Own a regular-sized (or bigger) Trailer and also happen to live somewhere in Brisbane? Then this will likely apply to you:

 

Not all of us Trailer Owner’s are aware of are the strict local laws surrounding parking a long or heavy vehicle in residential areas. These laws have a very relevant impact on the large majority of vehicles towing a normal sized trailer or larger. Violation of these rules can lead to nasty surprises in the form of substantial and unwanted parking infringements.

 

The enforced ruling is that “long and heavy vehicles”, are restricted from parking for longer than one hour within 100 metres of any residential land. Brisbane City Council define a ‘long vehicle’ as one of the following:

  • Vehicle or trailer that is longer than 7.5 metres,

  • Vehicle or trailer where any load or projection is longer than 7.5 metres

  • Any combination which is 7.5 metres long or longer

  • Any component of a combination (a prime mover or prime mover trailer), which if standing alone is five metres or longer.

They go onto define a ‘heavy vehicle’ as one of the following:

  • Any component of a combination with a Gross Vehicle Mass (GVM) of 3 tonnes or more

  • Any other vehicle with a GVM of 4.5 tonnes or more.

 

So in other words, if you have an average sized car with an average sized trailer or caravan attached to it, this applies to you!

 

If you leave your tow vehicle and trailer hooked up and parked outside your house for more than an hour, expect to get slapped with a fine of more than $650! (5 penalty units as stated by BCC). Think you can get away with it by simply unhooking the trailer from the tow vehicle? Unfortunately you won’t! If the trailer itself is 7.5m or above in length, or has a gross vehicle mass (GVM) of 3tonne or above, as these are considered long or heavy vehicles.

Illegally Parked Truck (Source: Fairfield City Council)

So if you’re parking your rig outside for a week or two this summer, strongly consider your need for temporary professional storage. Autohouse can provide short-term secure indoor or outdoor storage, from only $60/week, with a minimum charge of just four weeks.

 

$60 a week or a $650 fine? You decide!

 

Finally, lets not forget about the perils of parking a in a public space – With Trailered Vehicles generally being much wider than the average car, risk of damage is increased, particularly on the more narrow of streets. To add to this, trailer theft is an all too-common occurrence, particularly in up-market suburbs which are generally targeted by criminals. Trailer locks can help here, however they don’t put up much of a challenge for a simple battery angle grinder.

 

We strive to provide Brisbane and Ipswich with affordable, flexible secure auto storage. Find out more here!

 

Click here for BCC’s exact definition of the heavy & long vehicle parking restrictions.