FAQs
Businesses have greater flexibility and choice to more readily provide car parking appropriate to local context and their individual needs.
It supports development of a design and scale that supports walkability.
It supports the re-use of existing buildings (such as corner stores and older shops on main streets) that were developed prior to parking requirements.
It supports active modes of transport through setting requirements for the provision of bicycle parking and end of trip facilities.
It provides design guidance to ensure all parking facilities are designed to be safe, accessible and to support good quality development.
What is a local planning policy (LPP)?
Local planning policies provide guidance for development and how development applications will be assessed and determined by the Town.
Why is the Council reviewing LPP23 Parking?
It is important that regular reviews of local planning policies are undertaken to ensure that they remain current, consistent with contemporary legislation and relevant to achieving the Town’s strategic objectives.LPP23 was first adopted in 1998 and has not been reviewed since.
LPP23 has been revised and renamed, to reflect the intent and recommended actions of the Town’s Integrated Transport Strategy (2022) and Parking Management Plan (2022).
Does this policy apply to residential development?
No. This policy applies to non-residential development only. Car and bicycle parking requirements for residential development are guided by the Residential Design Codes.
How has the content of the revised policy been developed?
The preparation of the policy has considered local, national and international research and case studies on best practice parking policies. The research has found numerous reasons to support reforming the Town’s parking policy to better support the achievement of our strategic objectives for purposes such as climate action, housing affordability, economic development and promoting more equitable/safer streets.
From this research it is recommended that the revised LPP23 adopts an ‘Open Option’ approach to car parking where there is no minimum requirements for car parking to be provided by businesses.
What are some of the benefits of the new policy approach?
Will businesses still provide car parking?
It is anticipated that the effects of no longer requiring businesses to provide a minimum amount of car parking will be gradual and moderate.
Most existing businesses are likely to retain their existing supply of car parking in response to their own staff and customer needs, however, some may choose to reallocate space currently allocated to car parking to other purposes should it be surplus to their needs. Where demand for car parking remains high new commercial buildings are likely to continue to provide car parking in response to market demands.
What about street parking?
To ensure that the availability of on-street parking is effectively managed the Town will continue to implement the recommendations of our Parking Management Plan.
The Parking Management Plan provides guidance for evidence-based decision making informed by parking occupancy data to determine appropriate interventions, such as introducing time restrictions, paid parking and/or enforcement, to best manage the availability of on-street parking.
How will the policy affect the provision of ACROD bays?
As is the case with our current policy, where no publicly available car parking is provided there is no requirement to provide ACROD parking bays.
Where development does provide publicly available car parking, the draft policy requires that ACROD bays be provided at a rate of 1 space for every 20 car parking spaces or part thereof. This rate is above the rate required by the Building Code of Australia (typically 1 space or part thereof for every 50-100 car parking spaces for shops, restaurants, offices etc).
The draft policy recommends increasing the ratio for the provision of ACROD bays to ensure ACROD parking is provided at a rate commensurate to the needs of the Town’s population.
What will happen to my feedback?
Your feedback will be considered as part of the process to finalise the draft LPP before it is presented to Council for adoption. If you make a submission, we will let you know when the draft LPP will be considered by Council.