13/09/2025
Ahhh an end to Henry the bus at Hearts Haven...Henry was a fixture of Hearts Haven when I moved here and had been on site since 1980/90s Pushed into position by the previous owner, It was named Henry after a rooster who lived on the property who would roost in the trees above the bus, I named the rooster Henry and when he departed, I naturally attached the name Henry to the bus!
Over the weekend, Henry was encouraged out of his location by a heavy duty chain and excavator and loaded onto a tilt tray truck and moved on to greener pastures.
Council introduced new legislation last December that anything on wheels now has to be registered. If it can't be registered and made road worthy it is deemed an illegal dwelling and must be removed or dismantled. 5 years ago when I arrived on the property council had no jurisdiction over anything on wheels, so I got away with it, but things are different and I guess we either have to abide by council rules or do things illegal.
So, for everyone who has a caravan, bus, abandoned vehicle, tiny home, gypsy wagon or similar the new council rules are sort of like this;
*If it has wheels it must be legally roadworthy and registered if not it is deemed an illegal building that must be permitted, removed or demolished
*It can't be connected to the house services (power, water, sewer etc)
*It can't collect rainwater/guttering
*If you remove the wheels it becomes an illegal building
*If it remains on your property as a vehicle it must be the shell only and deemed an abandoned vehicle and depending on the size can not be used for other purposes (sewing room, teenagers retreat, reading room etc)
I don't necessarily agree with these rules but I can also see both sides of the story. You either keep hush hush or be an open book.
