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National

Mosman boat trailer parking debate reignites after Facebook complaint

Tensions over boat trailer parking have flared in the upmarket Sydney harbourside suburb of Mosman, with one owner saying he is being unfairly targeted.

This week a resident took to social media to demand a boat trailer parked on their street be moved.

"We are having construction done on my house," their Facebook post read.

"It has made two huge deliveries with a crane hard to unload supplies so far."

The Facebook post, made on Tuesday night, sparked furious debate over the long-running issue on Sydney's affluent North Shore.

Mosman resident Palle Lunoe, the owner of the boat trailer at the centre of the dispute, said the reaction was bizarre.

"I've never seen anything like it in my life, over a boat parked on the side of a road," he said.

"Traditionally, that's where trailers go."

'You just shift the problem'

It is legal to park a registered boat trailer on the street for up to 28 days, but the issue continues to vex some harbourside residents.

Earlier this month Mosman Council resolved to impose a four-hour limit on nine parking spaces in Mosman Bay that were occupied by boat trailers.

Mosman councillor Simon Menzies supported the decision but said it was not the solution.

"You don't ever solve the problem, you just shift the problem to another street," he said.

Cr Menzies was also concerned about the size of boat trailers.

"I'm just very fearful that someone will be knocked over, a child will be knocked over, because the driver just couldn't see them," he said.

'I like boats, not yoga'

While his boat trailer was a legally parked, registered vehicle, Mr Lunoe agreed to move it, but the incident has prompted him to raise the matter with the council, which he accused of placating a few "outspoken" residents.

"I don't think a boat is anything unusual, particularly living around Sydney Harbour — it's very much a part of our life around here," he said.

"But the councillors are … removing our right to park trailers legally and safely without harming anyone throughout Mosman, but they're not providing us with an alternative place to park."

He said boat owners were being made to feel unwelcome because they were "not into a mainstream hobby such as yoga".

"Unfortunately I like boats, not yoga, and therefore I'm being ostracised for it," he said.

The home owner who complained on Facebook later posted that they wanted the trailer moved for safety reasons.

"I didn't want [to] be a 'Karen' about this," they wrote, before deleting the post.

A statement from Mosman Council spokesperson said the council aimed to "direct boat trailers to where they have less impact and provide a more convenient option for trailer owners".

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