A family on Queensland's Sunshine Coast has copped a $650 fine from the local council because they failed to remove a basketball hoop from a footpath in a residential cul-de-sac.

Key points: Dad told to remove basketball hoop from street or face fine

Dad told to remove basketball hoop from street or face fine Councillor says $650 fine is 'crazy'

Councillor says $650 fine is 'crazy' Children playing in road raised as a safety issue

Trent Robinson, who works as a Sunshine Coast lifeguard, installed the basketball hoop in the Brightwater street to provide a safe place for his daughter and their friends to enjoy afternoon sport.

He said most days there were about 12 girls, aged between four and 11, who would use the hoop for about 20 minutes after school to have some fun before sunset.

But a complaint from a neighbour led to an investigation by a Sunshine Coast Council officer, who posted a note in Mr Robinson's letterbox four weeks ago warning him the hoop was a trip hazard.

A similar situation unravelled in Melbourne in February when mum, Sofia Dedes, from Beaumaris also received warnings from her council she could cop a $500 fine because her basketball hoop was set up on the edge of her driveway was "obstructing the footpath and roadway".

Potential trip hazard

Mr Robinson said he realised the hoop may have been a trip hazard, as it was "a little bit encroaching on the footpath", and he understood if he moved it off the footpath, all would be well.

This basketball hoop set up on a suburban nature strip has landed its owner with a $650 fine. ( Supplied: Trent Robinson )

But last week he received a text message saying "if it is not removed by the close of business hours today, you will be fined".

Both he and his wife were at work, so he sent back a message saying it would take three or four people to move the hoop, and he was planning on concreting the backyard to put it in there.

He also asked whether the other hoops in other areas would need to be removed too.

"He texted back (that) there had been no complaints about the others, but if I wanted to complain about them I was more than welcome," Mr Robinson said.

"I was like 'why would I complain about it?'.

"That's the last I heard. If I had a knock on the door saying 'mate if you don't move your hoop you are going to get a $650 fine' I would have somehow picked it up myself and thrown it over the fence.

"The fine was very surprising."

Mr Robinson said initially the hoop had been "about an inch on the footpath" before he first moved it, and until he received the text message last week he was not aware it was still an issue.

He has not yet paid the fine, hoping he could work out if there is a way the hoop could stay on the nature strip, or allow him time to concrete his backyard so the kids could play there.

Councillor looks for commonsense outcome

Local councillor Christian Dickson said he was raising the issue with council staff, because he thought a "$650 fine is crazy, it just doesn't add up".

He planned to meet with Mr Robinson to look at an extension for removing the hoop or a "common sense outcome".

"We've got bigger things to worry about than a gentleman trying to provide a bit of sport and recreation in the street," Cr Dickson said.

"[The] $650 [fine] is crazy, he should just be getting a warning and working with him and that's what I'd like to see happen."

The council says the temporary basketball hoop is a trip hazard. ( Supplied: Trent Robinson )

Cr Dickson said he was not sure if the penalty related to the verge garden regulations that led to the demolition of fruit trees in nearby Buderim.

"I really don't know (if it relates to verge issues), all I've seen is the complaint and I'm following up with staff," Cr Dickson said.

"At the end of the day, we are here to serve the ratepayers and they're the residents.

"We should come down, meet Trent and talk about the situation, and not just hand out a $650 fine.

"As we have local issues in Brightwater around crime and theft … the last thing I want to do is see us trying to shut down good activities for young people to get up to."

The Sunshine Coast Daily newspaper reported on May 8 that Federal MP for Fairfax, Ted O'Brien, announced CCTV cameras would be installed in the Brightwater Estate after complaints.

Brightwater Community Association secretary, Allan Rankin, said the area has experienced a "spate of criminal activity and a growing pattern of youth anti-social behaviour".

Council says fine a 'final resort'

A Sunshine Coast Council spokesperson said the fine was issued after a complaint about "safety concerns about a basketball hoop on a nature strip" and further investigation by the council.

"Following investigations, it was found the basketball hoop was not securely in place and was facing the road and was indeed a safety issue as children would be playing on the road," the spokesperson said.

The council did issue a compliance notice with 14 days to follow the rule.

"After attempting three times over five weeks to have the unsafe basketball hoop removed, without success, council issued the infringement notice."

The spokesperson said fines were only given as a "final resort" and there was the opportunity to have the matter reviewed in court.

"Brightwater Estate has appropriate open space that includes recreation parks and sports grounds with play spaces for children and young adults, including a half basketball court," the spokesperson said