Bega Valley Shire Council is cracking down on selling vehicles on public land.
Parking your car on the local street corner with a ‘For Sale’ sign on it, is something that’s still done to this day in areas up and down the South Coast but a council spokesperson said selling anything on public land without approval is prohibited in NSW.
South Pambula resident, Karen Sandling, told East Coast Radio that council should be lenient in enforcing fines.
“Everyone has done it (parked on local corners) for years and years, it’s just part of living in a country town and what people do,” Ms Sandling said.
“My daughter got fined $304 recently for parking on the lawn area near the tennis courts in Pambula which had no sign, which was a bit harsh,” she said.
“We appealed it and we were told ‘you should know the road rules and you can’t park in a built up area or near a pathway or bike track’.”
Council said the community needs to be aware of the restrictions around parking and selling on public land.
“You can be issued a fine for selling your vehicle from a public space whether or not signs are in place,” a Bega Valley Council spokesperson said.
There has been a reported increase in the number of vehicles being sold from the shire’s public spaces.
Council have erected these new signs in ‘problematic areas’ around the region to notify the community. (pictured above).
A Council Spokesperson said they’ve tried to address the issue previously through education including a Facebook post.
“But unfortunately, we’ve seen an increase in the numbers of vehicles being sold from our public spaces,” the spokesperson said.
Some of the “problematic areas” where new signs have gone up include the corner of Tura Beach Drive and Sapphire Coast Drive, in Tura Beach as well as the Merimbula Boat Ramp.
According to council, the reasons these signs have been installed include receiving concerns or complaints from the community, concerns for safety such as impeding on line of sight or creating distractions from the road as well as damage being caused to vegetation.
“Council is also aware of other neighbouring councils having had success with the placement of similar signs,” the spokesperson said.
It appears the community has mixed feelings about the crackdown, with some praising council for clearing distractions and improving line of sight on our roads but others saying it’s taking things too far.
For more information on NSW Legislation around road rules and parking click HERE.
Images: East Coast Radio, Karen Sandling
