Why this single photo of a boat parked on a Sydney street has sparked a neighbourhood war

A photo of a boat parked on the street in one of Sydney’s wealthiest suburbs has sparked a war of words among residents.

The war broke out after a frustrated resident complained that the boat was taking up valuable parking spaces on the street where parents often drop off and pick up their children at daycare and school.

“To the owner of this boat on Shadforth Street – kindly asking if you could please move it somewhere else as it has been parked here for almost a month,” they posted on the Mosman Living Facebook page.

‘There are two daycare centers on this street and a school, and many residents rely on on-street parking. The council has been notified by several residents, so please move it.”

The message sparked a fiery debate among locals over whether the boat should be moved.

Many pointed out that registered boats can legally be parked on a residential street for up to 28 days.

“If it’s parked legally, it can stay there for 28 days. The owner can even move it to the exact same spot for another 28 days,” one woman wrote.

Another added: ‘Just out of interest, if it’s free on-street parking, why are the residents and daycare visitors more entitled to that free on-street parking than the boat owner?’

But others were not impressed with the boat owner.

‘Rich enough to buy toys that are used a few times a year. They are so stingy that they park it in front of someone else’s house for free for the remaining nine months.

“I think the council should insist that all trailers and boats be parked in front of the owner’s homes, or insist that they pay to be stored elsewhere.”

A second addition: boats, caravans and trailers must be parked on the owner’s property, or in special storage areas. Yes, I am aware that this is not the current rule, but it should be.

A mother who lives on the street described the parking situation as a nightmare and begged the boat owner to move the boat.

‘I often have to park on adjacent streets (which are also occupied by boats) and walk to my apartment while carrying my six-month-old daughter and other belongings. “I wouldn’t have a problem if there was enough parking, but unfortunately that’s not the case,” she wrote.

‘YES, we all know the rules, YES, the owner has the right to park there, YES, this city has a general parking/docking problem, BUT it’s a huge inconvenience, so please be a decent human being and move around boat somewhere else for another 28 days.’

Car parks in Shadforth Street Mosman (pictured) are very popular with residents and parents dropping off or picking up their children from school and childcare

Others urged Mosman Council to intervene and address the ongoing issue.

“The council should insist that all trailers and boats be parked in front of the owners’ homes, or insist that they pay to be stored elsewhere,” one woman wrote.

Some tried to lighten the debate.

“How criminal that they pay rego for the boat and trailer and then have the nerve to park it for FREE,” someone said.

“I’ve just about had enough of these Mosman toddlers and their long lunches at sea,” joked a second.

Another said: ‘This means I have to move one of the other ships or Range Rovers.’

A third joked: “I heard he was towed there by a non-European car so they obviously live outside the region.”

In 2015, the NSW government introduced laws allowing councils to seize boat trailers if they have been parked on the street for more than 28 days.

But municipalities rarely use the laws because they are too difficult to enforce.

Boats are common on the streets of the suburb, which has a median house price of $5.3 million.

Mosman was recently named Australia’s tenth richest postcode, with 19,706 residents earning an average taxable income of $188,324 – more than double the national average of $68,289.

It’s not the first time boats and trailers parked on the street (previous example pictured) have enraged Mosman locals