2.5 Transport, Access & Parking
Part 2 – General Considerations for Development
This section sets out requirements for parking, vehicle access, and related transport matters in the Inner West.
The Inner West Local Government Area is divided into three parking areas based on how close they are to public transport. Figure 2.5.1 shows these areas and is used to work out the minimum and maximum parking rates for new developments. A high-resolution version of this map is available on Council's website.
New developments are to balance vehicle access with sustainable transport and pedestrian safety. The following rules provide specific formulas for calculating requirements for car parking, bicycle spaces, and end-of-trip facilities depending on a site's location and proposed use. The technical requirements for integrating electric vehicle chargers and shared mobility spaces are also outlined.
Mandatory design standards ensure that driveways, basements, and delivery areas are safely integrated without compromising local character, the streetscape or active transport networks.
Objectives
Local Need: To ensure car parking provision is balanced, minimizing oversupply in transit-rich areas while providing adequate parking in less accessible locations.
Transport Types: To support a transition from private vehicle use to public and active transport by tapering parking requirements in high-accessibility areas.
Private Management: To ensure that car parking areas within developments are well managed, prioritise the needs of essential and vulnerable users, and provides a safe, legible, and functional environment for pedestrians and drivers within high-occupancy and educational developments.
Controls
Provide car parking for residential accommodation in accordance with the rates detailed in Table 2.5.1. To calculate parking for residential accommodation developments, multiply the number of dwellings in each category by the corresponding rate in Table 2.5.1, and sum the totals.
Dwellings within residential flat buildings, shop top housing and independent living units are to calculate parking rates based on the number of bedrooms in the apartment outlined in Table 2.5.1.
Provide on-site car parking for employment uses in accordance with the rates detailed in Table 2.5.2. Apply the relevant rate to the appropriate measure for that use.
Total parking is not to exceed the maximum permissible rates for each use in Table 2.5.1 and Table 2.5.2.
Fractional parking spaces generated by the tables are to be rounded up or down following standard rules (i.e., less than 0.5 rounded down to zero, 0.5 or more rounded up to the nearest whole number).
Car parking in excess of the maximum rates permissible is to be included in the calculation of gross floor area (GFA) for the development.
In strata schemes, parking spaces are to be on a separate title from dwellings/commercial units to allow for internal transfer (unbundled parking). Unbundled parking does not apply to accessible car parking spaces, which are to be allocated to adaptable apartments.
For mixed-use developments, parking is to be calculated and allocated to each specific use (apply Table 2.5.1 for residential and Table 2.5.2 for non-residential).
Accessible Parking
At least 20% of car parking provided is to be accessible and designed in accordance with Australian Standard AS 2890.6.
Accessible parking spaces are to be located close to wheelchair accessible entrances or lifts.
A continuous accessible path of travel is to be provided from each accessible parking space to the closest accessible public entrance.
Table 2.5.1. Car parking rates for residential accommodation based on location and proposed use
| Development Type | Area 1 | Area 2 | Area 3 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maximum | Minimum | Maximum | Minimum | Maximum | |
| Studio apartment | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil | 0.25 |
| 1 bedroom apartment | Nil | Nil | 0.3 | 0.25 | 0.5 |
| 2 bedroom apartment | 0.4 | Nil | 0.7 | 0.5 | 1 |
| 3+ bedroom apartment | 1 | Nil | 1 | 1 | 1.25 |
| Residential visitor parking per apartment | 0.1 | Nil | 0.2 | 0.1 | 0.2 |
| Boarding houses, Co-living housing, group homes and hostels per bedroom | 0.25 | Nil | 0.25 | Nil | 0.25 |
| Dwelling houses, semi-detached dwellings, attached dwellings, dual occupancies, multi dwelling housing and secondary dwellings | 1 | Nil | 1 | Nil | 1 |
| Residential care facilities | All areas: Minimum 0.5 per worker; Between 0.1 and 0.25 per unit; Minimum 0.1 per unit for visitors | ||||
Table 2.5.2. Required car parking rates for employment (non-residential) uses based on location and proposed use
| Development Type | Area 1 | Area 2 | Area 3 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum | Maximum | Minimum | Maximum | Minimum | Maximum | |
| Centre-based child care facility | Nil | 0.05 per child + 0.125 per staff | Nil | 0.05 per child + 0.125 per staff | 0.05 per child + 0.125 per staff | 0.1 per child + 0.25 per staff |
| Commercial premises | Nil | 1 per 100sqm GFA | Nil | 1 per 100sqm GFA | 1 per 100sqm GFA | 1 per 50sqm GFA |
| Entertainment facility, place of public worship, amusement centre, function centre and information and education facility | Nil | 1 per 50sqm + 0.15 per employee | Nil | 1 per 50sqm + 0.15 per employee | 1 per 50sqm + 0.15 per employee | 1 per 30sqm + 0.15 per employee |
| Hospital | Nil | 0.1 per bed + 0.25 per staff | Nil | 0.1 per bed + 0.25 per staff | 0.1 per bed + 0.25 per staff | 0.2 per bed + 0.5 per staff |
| Hospital | All areas: Hospitals are to make adequate provision for ambulance and patient transport | |||||
| Industry | Nil | 1 per 200sqm GFA | Nil | 1 per 200sqm GFA | 1 per 200sqm | 1 per 200sqm |
| Medical centre, health consulting rooms, community health service facilities and veterinary hospital | Nil | 1 per consulting room | Nil | 1 per consulting room | 1 per consulting room | 2 per consulting room |
| Recreation facility (indoor) | Nil | 1 per 50sqm + 0.15 per employee | Nil | 1 per 50sqm + 0.15 per employee | 1 per 50sqm + 0.15 per employee | 1 per 25sqm + 0.15 per employee |
| Specialised retail premises | Nil | 1 per 150sqm GFA | Nil | 1 per 150sqm GFA | 1 per 150sqm GFA | 1 per 100sqm GFA |
| Storage premises | Nil | 1 per 400sqm GFA | Nil | 1 per 400sqm GFA | 1 per 400sqm GFA | 1 per 200sqm GFA |
| Tourist and visitor accommodation | Nil | 0.25 per bedroom + 0.25 per employee | Nil | 0.25 per bedroom + 0.25 per employee | 0.1 per bedroom + 0.1 per employee | 0.25 per bedroom + 0.25 per employee |
| Warehouse or distribution centre | Nil | 1 per 400sqm GFA | Nil | 1 per 400sqm GFA | 1 per 400sqm GFA | 1 per 400sqm GFA |
| Other non-residential uses not specified above | Required parking to be confirmed through a traffic and transport impact assessment. The assessment is to demonstrate the development will not result in any adverse impacts on on-street parking in surrounding residential areas | |||||
Car Park Management
Car parking in strata schemes is to be unbundled parking.
Unbundled parking does not apply to accessible car parking spaces, which are to be allocated to adaptable apartments.
Ownership of car parking spaces is limited to owners of a dwelling or other lot within the same building, whether residential, commercial, or otherwise. Car parking spaces must not be owned by persons or entities who do not hold ownership of any other part of the building.
In developments with 50 or more residential dwellings, convenient parking spaces are to be allocated to targeted users, including emergency vehicles, mobility parking, and service/delivery areas, to ensure efficiency and equitable access.
For car parks associated with an early education and care facility, or educational establishments:
- a)Staff parking is to be separate from parents / carers parking, with clear signs in place
- b)A safe pedestrian priority pathway is to be provided through the car park to the entrance
Onsite parking is to be supplemented by kerbside short-stay parking subject to:
- a)Parking restrictions that make short stay parking available at times relevant to centre-based childcare facilities and schools
- b)Kerbside parking being located immediately adjacent to the early education and care facility or school on the same side of the street
- c)Street traffic conditions that do not create an unsafe traffic environment for pick-up and drop-off
Objectives
Servicing: Design delivery and loading areas to be unobtrusive and sized to avoid disrupting road or footpath efficiency.
Controls
Delivery and servicing facilities are to be designed to ensure:
- a)Vehicles enter and leave the site in a forward direction
- b)Adequate sight lines and slow vehicle speeds to avoid conflicts with pedestrians, cyclists, and other vehicles
- c)Waste and loading operations occur on a level surface away from other site users
- d)Sufficient side and vertical clearance for safe delivery and servicing operations clear of walls, ceilings, ducts, pipes, and other obstacles
- e)Visual impacts on the development, streetscape, and adjacent premises are minimised
- f)The number of driveways across footpaths is minimised, particularly in areas of high pedestrian activity
- g)Facilities are not used for other purposes (e.g. storage or car parking)
- h)The largest vehicle anticipated can be accommodated
- i)All Vehicles can enter and exit without crossing the centre line of the public road
All loading and unloading is to occur within the on-site loading facility at all times. When the facility is not required for loading or unloading, it may be used temporarily for other purposes (such as car parking).
Delivery and servicing facility designs are to comply with AS 2890.2:2018.
Provide on-site delivery and service areas for large residential developments (50+ dwellings) and all new commercial, and industrial developments. This control does not apply to change of use or alterations/additions to an existing commercial or industrial premises.
Access to an onsite loading facility is to be provided via a laneway or secondary frontage where possible.
Large apartment developments (50+ dwellings) are to provide space for at least one medium rigid removalist truck and one service vehicle.
The path for delivery and servicing vehicles through the site is to be:
- a)At grade to minimise ramps
- b)As direct as possible to minimise tight cornering and maintain sight lines
Objectives
Integrated and Unobtrusive Access: To ensure vehicle access and parking are functional, safe and integrated into the design of a development.
Active Transport and Pedestrian Priority: To prioritise the safety, comfort, and movement of pedestrians and cyclists over private vehicles.
Public Domain, Continuity and Greening: To minimise vehicle crossovers to protect the continuity of footpaths, maximise on-street parking, and allow for street trees.
Controls
Siting and Location of Access
Pedestrian Priority: Vehicular access design is to prioritise pedestrian safety and comfort over vehicle movements.
Access Hierarchy: Vehicular access and parking is to be provided in the following order of priority:
- a)Rear lane
- b)Secondary street (for corner allotments)
- c)Side of the building, behind the front building alignment
Driveway Limits: Limit each site to one (1) driveway. For developments with three (3) or more dwellings, access is to be consolidated into a single crossover.
Prohibited Locations: Driveways are not permitted where they would interfere with bus stops, taxi ranks, loading zones, or marked pedestrian crossings, and must not be located within any areas identified as prohibited under AS 2890.1.
Public Domain and Streetscape Impact
Building Line: Parking spaces and structures (including garages and carports) are not to be located forward of the front building line.
Vehicular crossings are to be positioned to maximise on-street parking and allow for full car spaces between access points.
Driveways are to be located to protect existing public and private trees. Access points are not to encroach upon the notional root zone.
Redundant driveways are to be closed and replaced with matching kerb, gutter, and landscaped verge.
Basement Visibility: Basement parking protruding above street level is to be screened by landscaping or a built facade integrated with the building form. Ventilation is not to be visible from primary street frontages.
Technical Design and Safety
Visual Continuity: Maintain consistent footpath materials and level grades across crossovers to give visual priority to pedestrians.
The driveway grade within the property is not to exceed 5% for the first 6m from the boundary to ensure slow entry/exit and clear sightlines.
Entries are to utilise splayed corners and speed humps where necessary to protect pedestrians.
Crossover Width: Crossovers for individual dwellings are to be single width. For larger developments, driveways are to be kept to the functional minimum width required by Australian Standard AS 2890 to reduce paved areas.
Designs are to comply with Australian Standard AS 2890.1:2004 (Off-street parking), AS 2890.6:2022 (Disabled parking), and the 2024 Guide to Transport Impact Assessment (GTIA).
Internal Car Parking
Deep Soil Maximization: Basement parking is to be restricted to the area directly beneath the building footprint to maximise deep soil zones elsewhere on site.
Safety and Surveillance: Separate primary pedestrian entries from vehicular access points are to be provided which:
- a)Avoid "blind" corners; install mirrors where surveillance is obstructed
- b)Include marked pedestrian-priority pathways leading to lifts, stairs, and exits
Mechanical Parking: Car stackers are generally not supported; they may only be considered on merit where extreme site constraints exist, such as restricted lot dimensions, heritage considerations, and topography, and if they do not result in unacceptable noise or visual impacts.
Surface parking to protect trees in surface parking lots using wheel stops and structural soil cells where required.
Specialised Facilities
Car Washing: Provide wash bays at the following rates:
- a)<6 dwellings: Nil
- b)6–19 dwellings: 1 separate bay or a dual-purpose visitor space
- c)20+ dwellings: 1 dedicated bay per 60 resident spaces
Breakout Walls: Design basement parking in mixed-use developments to allow for future breakout walls for inter-lot connectivity if required.
Laneways & Garages
Tree Protection: Driveways are not to encroach upon the notional root zone of public trees.
Crossover Width: For individual dwellings, the crossover is to be single width to maximise the soft landscaped area of the verge.
Garage Manoeuvrability: Where access is from a narrow laneway (Table 2.5.4), the opening is to be widened or walls splayed to allow a "single-turn" entry/exit.
Table 2.5.3. Standard laneways (road reserve greater than or equal to 4m)
| Road reserve width (m) | Garage door width (m) |
|---|---|
| 7.0 | 2.5 |
| 6.0 | 2.8 |
| 5.0 | 3.3 |
| 4.0 | 4.2 |
Table 2.5.4. Narrow laneways (road reserve less than 4m)
| Road reserve (m) | Garage door width (m) | Min. setback (m) | Min. opening at boundary (m) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 | 4.2 | 0.5 | 5.2 |
| 3.0 | 4.2 | 1.0 | 6.2 |
Objectives
Cycling: Provide secure bicycle parking and end-of-trip facilities (e.g. showers/lockers) to promote cycling.
Innovation: Incorporate electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure and support car-share schemes to reduce private car dependency.
Controls
Electric Vehicles (EV)
Provide EV charging facilities in accordance with Table 2.5.5.
Car parking areas located internal to a building and designed for use by EVs are to be protected by an automatic fire sprinkler system (equivalent to AS 2118.1 or AS 2118.6) and fire hydrant coverage.
The design of charging bays is to accommodate the spatial requirements of cabling and charging points.
Information is to be submitted with the development application to demonstrate that the proposed electrical infrastructure can support a scenario where at least 50% of all EV chargers on site are charging at the same time.
Non-residential charging bays are to include signs to inform potential users of location, whether the bay is for public or private use, and whether there are fees or charges.
Table 2.5.5. EV charging requirements by development type
| Residential accommodation type | Minimum EV charging requirement |
|---|---|
| All buildings classified as Class 1 or 4 under NCC | Level 1 charger per car space |
| All buildings classified as Class 2 under NCC | Level 1 charger per car space + installation of conduits and associated infrastructure to enable easy upgrade to level 2 i.e. provides conduits and cables to the parking space and spatial allowance for power point or charging head unit to permit owners/tenants to readily add charging units to individual bays |
| All Buildings classified 3, 5, 6, 7b, 8 or 9 | Level 2 charger or faster to 20% of car spaces. Conduits and adequate space is to be provided to a minimum of 50% car spaces to enable installation of level 2 chargers in the future. |
Motorbikes, Bicycles and Micro-mobility
Provide secure, on-site bicycle parking in accordance with Table 2.5.6. Where a land use is not specified, parking is to be determined through a merit-based assessment assuming future bicycle ownership of 1 bicycle per person (Residential) or a 5% journey-to-work mode share (Employment).
Provide motorcycle parking at a rate of 5% of the total car parking spaces provided (rounded to the nearest whole number).
Bicycle parking areas are to include dedicated electric charging points at a rate of 1 plug per 2 bicycle spaces (residential accommodation) and 1 plug per 4 bicycle spaces (non-residential).
Bicycle parking is to be highly accessible, secure, and separated from vehicle manoeuvring paths. It is to comply with Australian Standard AS 2890.3 and Austroads Guidelines.
Parking for micro-mobility devices, motorcycles, and bicycles is not to be located in hidden spaces, under staircases, or at the end of aisles. Wayfinding signs are to be provided.
Vehicle crossings will not be permitted solely for motorcycle, micro-mobility, or bicycle parking.
Table 2.5.6. Required bicycle parking rates
| Development type | Residents / workers | Visitors / customers |
|---|---|---|
| Residential flat buildings and shop top housing | 1 per unit | 0.1 per unit |
| Boarding houses, Co-living housing, group homes and hostels | 0.5 per room + 0.05 per worker | 0.05 per room |
| Tourist and visitor accommodation | 0.05 per worker | 0.5 per room |
| Office premises | 0.5 per 100sqm GFA | 0.2 per 100sqm GFA |
| Retail premises | 0.5 per 100sqm GFA | 0.5 per 100sqm GFA |
| Specialised retail premises | 0.2 per 100sqm GFA | 0.2 per 100sqm GFA |
| Medical centre | 0.05 per worker | 0.5 per 100sqm GFA |
| Educational establishment | 0.05 per worker | 0.1 per student |
| Early education and care facility | 0.05 per worker | 2 per centre |
| Industry and warehouse and distribution centres | 0.05 per worker | Nil |
End of Trip Facilities
For all non-residential developments and the commercial components of mixed-use developments, end of trip facilities (EOT) are to be provided based on the number of bicycle spaces required in Table 2.5.7.
Table 2.5.7. End of trip facility requirements
| Facility | Requirement rate |
|---|---|
| Lockers | 1 per 3 bicycle spaces provided |
| Showers (1–12 spaces) | 1 universal shower/changeroom |
| Showers (13–50 spaces) | 2 showers (1 Male, 1 Female) |
| Showers (50+ spaces) | 2 showers + 2 additional showers for every 50 spaces thereafter |
Car Share Facilities
Provide one car share space for every 20 units that lack a private parking space. Car share parking spaces are to be provided in addition to car parking spaces required by Table 2.5.1.
These spaces are to be accessible to car share members 24/7, located as close as practical to the site's entry, located adjacent to one another, clearly marked, identified as common property on title, and not sold/leased to individual owners.
Development applications are to include a letter of commitment from an established car share operator confirming their intent to manage the spaces, how vehicles will be maintained/insured, 24/7 access provisions, and responsibility for wayfinding signs and EV chargers.