A Romsey family is thinking of selling up after 16 years because of a row with the council over a truck parked on their block.
The Vernon family owns a trucking company that operates out of Melbourne, but a decommissioned prime mover, affectionately known as ‘Old Yeller’, has been stored on their 4000 square metre Metcalfe Street property for several years now.
Owner Anne Vernon said when she and her husband Peter bought the land, it was in a rural zone. It was only rezoned to residential in the last 10 years, which restricts the parking of large vehicles without a permit.
“The truck has always been parked outside our house,” Ms Vernon said. “It’s unregistered and it’s never used.”
It wasn’t until April this year, after complaints from a neighbour, that council told the Vernons to apply for a permit to store the vehicle, or remove it from the property.
“The truck has sentimental value to my husband,” Ms Vernon said.
The family’s application for a permit was denied, and a subsequent appeal was knocked back in July on the grounds that the truck was deemed to have a “detrimental impact on the neighbourhood”.
Ms Vernon said the last straw was when council fined them $500 earlier this month.
“The truck has served him well,” she said.
“He [Peter] doesn’t want to have to let it go, and my son has plans to fix it up and use it as a show truck. We don’t know what else to do. There are many trucks or containers in the vicinity of our property, and I doubt that they are all permitted.”
Community safety manager Anne-Louise Lindner said the law on trucks exists to protect ‘residential amenity’.
“There are a number of noise and amenity issues with the vehicle at the property,” she said. “Vehicles of this nature are generally stored and kept in commercial and industrial zoned areas.
“Council has suggested … these options be explored.”
