Abandoned Vehicles

Abandoned Vehicles are unsightly and dangerous, creating an eyesore which can encourage vandalism and arson, endangering lives, property and the environment. Council works to remove abandoned vehicles as quickly as possible. But the community has a role to play in solving this problem. 

Abandoned vehicles are an increasing problem in our community. Some car owners abandon old vehicles without caring for the consequences, creating an eyesore which can encourage vandalism and arson, and could possibly endanger lives, property and the environment

Any motorised vehicle, trailer, caravan, horse float or similar that is parked on any roadway or public place under the control of Council can be removed if abandoned.

What is meant by Abandoned?

A vehicle is deemed abandoned if:

• The vehicle has been in the same location for an unusual length of time.
• The vehicle has a derelict appearance and appears inoperable (no tyres etc.).
• The owner cannot be located, or
• The vehicle does not display a valid registration sticker.

Council needs your help to locate these vehicles and remove them from our community.

How are abandoned vehicles removed?

Once Council have received a report of an abandoned vehicle, a Local Laws Officer will inspect the vehicle, and if it's considered abandoned, the Council Officer will affix a Notice under the Transport Operations (Road Use and Management) Act 1995 stipulating that unless the owner removes the vehicle within 7 days, Council will remove it to a place for safe storage.

At the end of that 7 day period, a further inspection will be conducted to determine if removal has taken place.

Should the vehicle remain at the same location, proceedings will be instigated to have the vehicle removed to a secure location. Should the vehicle hold some form of identification such as number places or a registration sticker, Council will conduct a registration search in an attempt to determine the last known owner of the vehicle. Where possible, after the vehicle has been removed to a place of safe storage, the last known registration owner is contacted by letter and given 7 days  to contact Council.

If the owner is identified, they are required to relocate the vehicle to private property and pay any parking tickets that have been issued. If however, the owner of the vehicles is not located, proceedings will begin to have the vehicle removed to safe storage.

The process for removing a vehicle with no ownership identification is simple. Any vehicle parked in a public area may be ticketed and towed. Council also liaises with the Queensland Police Service to determine whether or not the vehicle is of any interest regarding ongoing Police investigations. If the vehicle has been reported stolen, the Police will notify the owner and Council's action will be placed on hold. The Transport Operations (Road Use and Management) Act 1995 is available at the following Queensland Government website. 

What should I do if my vehicle is missing? 

Contact the Queensland Police Service immediately to ensure your vehicle has not been stolen. You can also contact Council to enquire whether the Council has removed the vehicle. Should this be the case, your vehicle can be released upon sending a written application to the Chief Executive Officer showing proof of ownership and/or authority to act on the owner's behalf. 

Owners will be required to pay any expenses incurred by Council during the detention and removal of the vehicle.

Costs will be assessed on application, in addition to towing costs, storage and administration charges will apply. If your car was stolen and Council have moved it, provided you notified the Police and your insurance company, Council's enquiries will reveal this and Council will let you know your vehicle has been found. 

What happens to unclaimed vehicles? 

All unclaimed abandoned vehicles detained by Council are stored at a facility awaiting auction. The proceeds of auctions are used to pay associated costs incurred by Council to have the vehicle removed and stored (including administrative costs).

More information and contacting Council

If you would like to report an abandoned vehicle you can visit the Make a Request page.

If the matter requires urgent attention, please call (07) 4776 4600.