What is an abandoned vehicle?
How to report an abandoned vehicle
What happens to abandoned vehicles?
Collection of an abandoned vehicle
Unclaimed vehicles

Any vehicle unregistered or abandoned on the side of a Council-controlled road or within Council land may be issued with a notice or impounded under Section 100 of the Transportation Operations (Road Use Management) Act 1995.

It is an offence to leave a vehicle on the roadway or footpath once the vehicle registration has expired. Vehicles that are registered and legally parked cannot be deemed as abandoned and are permitted on the road reserve.

Where a vehicle is deemed to be in a hazardous location, Council may in some instances organise for it to be removed immediately. If outside of Council hours, please contact Queensland Police.

What is an abandoned vehicle?

Council receives a significant number of requests to remove abandoned vehicles each year.

Council will take steps to remove an abandoned vehicle where the following criteria are met:

1. The vehicle is on a Council controlled road or area (ie. a Council controlled park or reserve);
2. The vehicle is a safety hazard, left in an unsafe manner, a risk of causing an accident, a risk to property or is causing environmental harm; 
3. The vehicle is unregistered and Council was unable to locate/determine the owner of the vehicle; and
4. Upon customer request the following circumstances exist:
   • The vehicle appears to be inoperable (obviously mechanically incapable, flat tyres)
   • The vehicle is not located/parked afront the vehicle owner's place of residence
   • The vehicle is an eyesore – Council will determine a vehicle to be an eyesore if the vehicle has been vandalised, burnt, does not have tyres, where windows/panels have been smashed or are protruding.

Please note that Council will not remove a vehicle where:

• The vehicle is unregistered but Council was able to locate an owner (unless any of the circumstances outlined under 4 apply); or
• The vehicle is on private property or on a State controlled road – Council does not have power to remove abandoned vehicles from private property or State controlled roads.

How to report an abandoned vehicle

If you know that a vehicle is abandoned, you can report it by contacting Council.

A Council officer will ask vehicle details such as the make/model, colour, location, the period of time that the vehicle has been at its current location, and the condition it is in.

If an abandoned vehicle has the potential to be a safety hazard to motorists and/or pedestrians, please call Police Link on 131 444 and report the vehicle as being a safety hazard. 

If there is an abandoned boat on water concern, please contact Maritime Safety Queensland (Gladstone Office) on 4971 5200 or email gladstone.maritime@msq.qld.gov.au

Report to Council online

What happens to abandoned vehicles?

For vehicles believed to have been abandoned, Council must follow legal procedures before the vehicle can be removed from the roadway or footpath. This process can take four to six weeks to complete. During this time, the vehicle is inspected, and surrounding properties checked to see if an owner can be located. Registration checks may also be performed to help locate the owner. Only after these checks are performed and if no owner has claimed the vehicle, will it be removed. A local law notice is displayed on the windscreen advising that the vehicle will be towed if it is not removed in seven days.

If the vehicle is not removed within this time period, it will be impounded and subsequently offered for sale by auction or as scrap metal unless claimed within a specified time frame.

Collection of an abandoned vehicle

If a vehicle has been impounded, the owner must provide sufficient proof of identity and pay all costs incurred in the removal, advertisement and storage of the vehicle. Owners are to contact Council to organise release of the vehicle and complete a release application form.

Unclaimed vehicles

All unclaimed abandoned vehicles are housed at Council’s holding facility until they can be sold at auction or for scrap metal. All auctions are published in The Observer newspaper prior to the auction.

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