North Sydney considers cutting parking for high-rise apartments
A North Sydney Council proposal to reduce the number of off-street parking spaces in new apartment buildings close to public transport has attracted criticism from locals online and via a letter campaign.
Council has proposed amending its Development Control Plan 2013 (DCP) to slash the rates of permitted off-street parking in new high-density apartment blocks in areas identified as having good public transport accessibility.
This would include parts of Crows Nest, St Leonards, North Sydney, Wollstonecraft, Lavender Bay, and Milsons Point.
Council says the ‘sensible policy move’, which will see the number of car spots in these new developments approximately halved, is to reduce the impact on local traffic and meet its sustainability goals.
“Every car parking space provided in a private development generates multiple corresponding trips on our local roads. This adds to congestion and the demands on our already stretched car-based infrastructure. It also contributes to negative urban and environmental impacts.”
Council argues the increase in local population from such developments is causing governments to respond by expanding road networks, widening roads, and building motorways, such as the Western Harbour Tunnel, which will not ease congestion.
To ensure the new proposal achieves a reduction in car dependence, Council will also not issue resident street-parking permits to the occupants of these new apartment blocks.
The proposal has attracted scorn on social media and via a community letter campaign.
After advertising the proposal on the Council’s Facebook page, locals pushed for the plan to be scrapped, saying the lack of reliability and limited routes currently restrict total reliance on public transport.
There were also concerns at the impacts on local businesses, safety, and those with limited mobility.
Meanwhile, an anonymous flyer was also distributed to local households outlining concerns at the impacts on on-street parking, accident rates and pollution from ‘people endlessly circling looking for parking’.
Council says the proposal will only apply to developments near transport hubs.