A Port Stephens sports club's vital equipment, initially feared stolen and sold for scrap metal, has been recovered from an unlikely location: a local council recycling centre.
Trailer Vanishes from Club Compound
Members of the Port Stephens Outrigger Canoe Club (PSOCC) arrived for training last week to find their custom-built canoe trailer missing from its usual spot beside the club's compound. The club's head coach, Tony Compton, told the Newcastle Herald he immediately suspected the trailer had been taken by thieves targeting it for its scrap metal and parts.
The club was left devastated by the loss, which threatened to disrupt their operations. After the story was published in the Newcastle Herald and featured on evening news broadcasts, the mystery took an unexpected turn.
Council Rangers Mistake Trailer for Abandoned
The trailer's true whereabouts were revealed when a worker at the council's recycling facility recognised it from media reports. It had been impounded by Port Stephens Council rangers, not stolen.
A council spokesperson explained that staff had located the trailer in October 2025 and, finding it displayed no number plates, deemed it unregistered and illegally parked. A notice was placed on the vehicle on 26 October 2025, advising the owner to register or remove it.
"As the trailer did not display number plates, Council was unable to identify the owner or make further contact to notify them of the issued notice," the spokesperson said. With no contact from an owner and the trailer remaining in place, approval was granted to tow it away on 6 December 2025.
Frustration Over 'Overzealous' Action and Costly Delay
Mr Compton expressed frustration with the process, labelling the rangers' actions as "overzealous". He stated the club had parked trailers in that exact location for years without issue.
"The frame with the rego plate on it is kept just inside the compound and visible from outside," Mr Compton said. Upon collecting the trailer, he noticed a very faded sticker on the drawbar advising it was unregistered, which the club had previously overlooked.
Further complications arose when the council refused to release the trailer until impounding fees were paid. This process was delayed as the relevant administration staff were on leave over the Christmas and New Year period.
Mr Compton also revealed that when the trailer first went missing, he contacted the council but was told they had no record of it. The club is now seeking to formalise the parking arrangement. "We are trying to get council to write it into our compound lease, so that we can have that spot for the trailer," he said.
