Prepared by: GTA Consultants (NSW) Pty Ltd for Inner West Council
on 20/07/2020
Reference: N184030
Issue #: A-Dr4
Balmain East Precinct Parking Study
Inner West Council
Draft Report
© GTA Consultants (NSW) Pty Ltd [ABN 31 131 369 376] 2020
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GTA Report
Melbourne | Sydney | Brisbane
Adelaide | Perth
Balmain East Precinct Parking
Study
Inner West Council
Draft Report
Client: Inner West Council
on 20/07/2020
Reference: N184030
Issue #: A-Dr4
Quality Record
Issue
Description
Prepared By
Checked By
Approved By
Signed
A-Dr
Draft
G. Cheng, Z.
Abbasi
A. Leung
V. Buhl
A-Dr2
Updated Draft
G. Cheng, Z.
Abbasi
A. Leung
V. Buhl
A-Dr3
Updated Draft
G. Cheng, Z.
Abbasi
A. Leung
V. Buhl
A-Dr4
Updated Draft
G. Cheng, Z.
Abbasi
A. Leung
V. Buhl
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CONTENTS
1. Introduction 1
1.1. Project Background 1
1.2. Purpose of the Study 2
1.3. What is Parking 2
1.4. Types of Parking 3
1.5. The Balmain East Context 3
2. Existing CondItions 4
2.1. Planning Context 4
2.2. Study Area 7
2.3. Existing Travel Behaviour 11
2.4. Local Car Sharing Initiatives 14
2.5. Parking Supply and Conditions 15
2.6. Parking Demand 18
2.7. Parking Signage Check 26
2.8. Resident Permit Parking Allocation 27
2.9. Community Survey 28
3. SWOT Analysis 30
3.1. SWOT Analysis 30
4. Parking Management Case Studies 31
4.1. Introduction 31
4.2. Parking Management on Residential Streets 31
4.3. Summary 34
5. Recommendations 35
5.1. Introduction 35
5.2. Key Strategic Objectives 35
5.3. Recommendations 35
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Figures
Figure 1.1: Balmain East within the Sydney Metropolitan Area 1
Figure 2.1: Balmain East study area 8
Figure 2.2: Key streets and sites within the Balmain East Precinct 9
Figure 2.3: Public Transport Map within the Precinct 11
Figure 2.4: Boundary of the relevant SA1s in the study area 12
Figure 2.5: Journey to work mode share for residents in the relevant SA1s 13
Figure 2.6: Percentage of vehicle ownership 14
Figure 2.7: Go-Get car share pods in the Balmain East Precinct 15
Figure 2.8: Balmain East Parking Restrictions Map 16
Figure 2.9: Residential Parking Scheme – Leichhardt BE 17
Figure 2.10: Weekday average peak occupancy 19
Figure 2.11: Weekend average occupancy 20
Figure 2.12: Weekday average duration of stay 21
Figure 2.13: Weekend average duration of stay 21
Figure 2.14: Weekday turnover ratio 22
Figure 2.15: Weekend turnover ratio 23
Figure 2.16: Weekday boat trailer parking 24
Figure 2.17: Weekend boat trailer parking 25
Figure 2.18: Respondents’ views toward addressing residential parking management 29
Figure 2.19: Respondents’ views toward addressing commuter parking 29
Figure 4.1: Example parking hierarchy from Austroads 32
Figure 4.2: Parking management hierarchy in Christchurch 33
Figure 4.3: Parking management hierarchy in Kingston, VIC 34
Figure 5.1: Recommended parking management hierarchy 36
Figure 5.2: Recommended time-restricted parking area for Balmain East shops 39
Tables
Table 2.1: Key streets and sites within the Balmain East Precinct 9
Table 2.2: Public transport within the Precinct 11
Table 2.3: Non-compliant signs and recommended sign 26
Table 2.4: BE residential parking permit zone – number of permits issued per street in relation to the
total capacity of parking spaces subject to the BE zone 27
Table 3.1: SWOT Analysis for Balmain East Precinct Parking Study 30
INTRODUCTION
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1. INTRODUCTION
1.1. Project Background
Balmain East is a precinct in the Inner West Local Government Area of the Sydney Metropolitan Area and is
approximately three kilometres west of the Sydney CBD and 18 kilometres east of Parramatta CBD. The
precinct is situated on the eastern end of the Balmain peninsula in Sydney Harbour and shares a boundary
with the suburb of Balmain to the west.
Balmain is predominantly a residential suburb with a mix of single dwellings and low-density multi-storey unit
blocks, with a small shopping strip on Darling Street and foreshore areas which have been redeveloped into
open domains. The study area mainly consists of residential streets with Darling Street being the only
connection going in and out of the peninsula. Public transport options comprise bus services along Darling
Street and ferries from Balmain East Wharf.
Figure 1.1: Balmain East within the Sydney Metropolitan Area
Basemap Source: OpenStreetMap
The Balmain East precinct incorporates a range of major developments, consisting of commercial areas,
public infrastructures and foreshore redevelopment.
Sydney
CBD
Parramatta
CBD
Balmain
East
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The trip generators for the precinct include:
• Residential dwellings
• Balmain East shopping village
• Schools such as Nicholson Street Public School
• NSW Police Marine Area Command
• Balmain East Wharf
• Various industrial units and places of employment along the northern foreshore
• Parks and informal sports facilities.
Inner West Council has requested a review of the overall parking situation within the Balmain East Precinct as
a basis for determining a parking management strategy and has commissioned GTA Consultants (GTA) to
undertake a review of parking within the Balmain East precinct and to develop a strategy that sets forward
how parking will be provided and managed in the future.
1.2. Purpose of the Study
The objectives of the project are:
• To review parking within Balmain East precinct, looking at location, supply, demand and distribution of
both long-stay residential and short-stay commercial parking as well as any evidence of long-stay
commuter parking, as the basis for determining future car parking requirements. This includes
considering on-street and private off-street parking and undertaking community consultation and
working with stakeholders to understand community views in relation to parking in the study area.
• To review state and local parking strategies and policies including Council’s Development Control Plan
parking rates for Balmain East associated with new development.
• To undertake a parking supply and demand assessment and report of parking in Balmain East. Develop
an inventory of existing on-street and off-street parking identifying the parking regulations associated
with this parking. Survey the parking demand of on-street and off-street parking areas to identify long
and short-stay parking requirements.
• To develop a Balmain East Parking Management Strategy considering Council’s strategies and plans,
community views, parking demand and supply, existing active transport (walking and cycling) and public
transport (bus and ferry), to improve ease of access to parking.
• To identify any discrepancies in parking policies and restrictions within Balmain East under Inner West
Council and identify opportunities for standardisation.
1.3. What is Parking
Before developing a set of parking strategy principles and objectives, and how these integrate with overall
transport objectives, we must have a comprehensive understanding of what parking is.
As a general rule, land uses generate and attract visitors, customers, staff and/or residents resulting in
economic activity. A by-product of access to these land uses is, in its simplest form, a “trip”. Trips can be
made by a variety of methods including, but not limited to, walking, cycling, public transport and/or the
private motor vehicle.
Where does car parking enter this equation? Car parking provides an end-of-trip facility for the private motor
vehicle mode.
INTRODUCTION
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1.4. Types of Parking
The type of land use has differing levels of attractiveness (i.e. trip generation) and therefore has different
requirements for car parking. Different uses also have different user bases and in turn different needs in
regard to their required length of stay. Accordingly, different types of car parking are required (for example,
pick-up/drop-off parking requires 5 to 15 minutes, short-stay parking requires one to three hours and long-
stay parking is required over four hours or all day to satisfy differing needs. In a setting such as the local
centre in Balmain East, a parking event can serve a number of trip purposes and a single space can be
shared between a number of users over the course of the day due to the different temporal patterns of land
uses. While in residential areas, a single space can only be shared between a limited number of vehicles as
long-stay parking is prevalent among residents and potentially is also used by commuters accessing the ferry
at Balmain East.
With consideration of the above, it is important to prioritise the demands of short-stay commercial user
groups within the commercial village environment in Balmain East while limiting long-stay conflicting user
groups that may arise from commuters. While in the residential area, it is important to have a sufficient
amount and prioritisation of car parking relative to resident demands in the area, while limiting the needs and
demand of conflicting user groups that car parking will have on the residential streets.
1.5. The Balmain East Context
In this context then, it is important that car parking within Balmain East be managed to:
• Recognise that the parking space does not attract people; it is the destination that attracts people and
parking is only a by-product.
• Prioritisation of demand from different user-groups, specifically the parking demand from residents,
commuters and workers on residential streets and commercial user-groups within the local commercial
core.
• Balance demand for commuter parking and residential parking specially nearby to the Balmain East
Wharf.
• Standardise the previous different parking permits format applied to the study area as a result of
amalgamation of different council jurisdictions.
EXISTING CONDITIONS
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2. EXISTING CONDITIONS
2.1. Planning Context
In preparing this report, relevant policies and guidelines applicable to the Balmain East precinct were
explored, which include both the still in effect 2013 Local Environmental Plan (LEP 2013) and 2013
Development Control Plan (DCP 2013), developed by the former Leichhardt Council and the recently
published Inner West Integrated Transport Strategy (ITS) by Inner West Council. In addition, the Permit
Parking Guidelines (October 2018) developed by Roads and Maritimes Services (now Transport for NSW
(TfNSW)) are referenced as the official guidelines in permit parking designs to better understand the context
and design parameters of permit parking schemes and how it can be utilised in a parking management
strategy. This guideline is discussed further in sub-section 2.1.1.
Inner West Council also recently released a ‘Draft Public Domain Parking Policy’ which is under Council
review following community consultation. A summary of the draft policy is discussed in sub-section 2.1.2,
which examines how public parking is managed throughout the Inner West LGA and brings together the
different management approaches adopted by the former constituent councils of Inner West Council.
2.1.1. Permit Parking Guidelines - Road and Maritime Services
The Permit Parking Guidelines is a document that sets out criteria and guidelines for designing, implementing
and administering permit parking schemes in NSW from the former Roads and Maritime Services and was
last updated in October 2018.
Permit parking schemes help to improve amenity for particular classes of road users in locations where there
is insufficient off-street parking and where on-street parking is limited. Permit parking also helps to balance
the needs of the local community with those of the broader community in high demand areas.
There are six classes of permit parking scheme prescribed in clause 95 of the Road Transport (General)
Regulation 2013, including:
• business
• commuter
• resident
• resident’s visitor
• special event
• declared organisation.
According to the guideline, if local councils propose to establish a permit parking scheme, it must comply
with the Regulation and this mandatory guideline. In the case of Balmain East, a key part of this study will be
to investigate whether existing schemes need to be amended and whether other types of permits are
warranted (e.g. commuter permits).
The guideline expresses the eligibility criteria for all permit schemes and the six classes of parking permits,
with the relevant general criteria and specific criteria for the context of Balmain East summarised below.
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Eligibility criteria and other features common to all permit parking schemes
• high demand for parking in the area
• inadequate off-street parking and no potential to modify premises or create off-street parking
• little or no unrestricted on-street parking close by
• vehicle is not a truck, bus, or trailer (boat or caravan)
• parking authorities have discretion over the total number of permits issued in their area of operations
and how they will distribute these permits across the relevant classes of permit parking schemes.
Resident parking permits
• the number of permits issued for an area should not exceed the number of available on-street parking
spaces in the area
• a maximum of one permit per bedroom in a boarding house, or two permits per household. In
exceptional circumstances, the number of permits may be increased
• when issuing permits to eligible residents who have off-street parking, the number of permits which may
be issued is the difference between the maximum number per household in the scheme and the number
of off-street spaces available to the household
• where the number of requests for permits exceeds the number of available on-street parking spaces,
only residents who do not have access to unrestricted parking along their kerbside are eligible to apply
for a resident parking permit. Applications should be prioritised as follows:
o no off-street parking space
o one off-street car space
o two or more off-street car spaces.
Commuter parking permits
Commuter parking schemes are established to encourage people to use public transport. They can only be
established after a 12-month commuter parking trial.
Commuter parking permits may be issued as follows:
• one permit per commuter
• the parking authority should ensure there is a reasonable chance the commuter will find a parking space
within the commuter permit parking area.
Resident’s visitor parking permits
Residents may apply for visitor parking permits so their visitors can park within the permit area without time or
fee restrictions.
• there is no off-street visitor parking at the resident's address
• there are no unrestricted on-street parking spaces in front of the residence or along the kerbside
• the parking authority may offer long-term and/or short-term visitor parking permits.
2.1.2. Draft Public Domain Parking Policy
On-street parking and Council managed car parks across Inner West Council currently operate under
different policies from the former Leichhardt, Marrickville and Ashfield Councils. However, since the
amalgamation there has been an absence of a unified parking management policy to manage public parking
throughout the Inner West LGA.
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To this end, Inner West Council prepared the Draft Public Domain Parking Policy which sets out a governing
framework for the investigation, development, implementation and ongoing management of parking schemes
and controls in the public domain including on-street parking and council managed car parks. The draft
Public Domain Parking Policy proposes one consistent approach across all the Inner West.
The Policy draft covers several areas of parking management including permits for residential and
commercial areas, timed parking restrictions in commercial areas, exceptions (such as Mobility Parking
Scheme Permits), paid parking, authorised vehicle zones, taxi zones, and more. Relevant elements of this
draft policy to Balmain East are explored below.
Resident Parking Permits
Resident parking permits enable eligible residents, who do not have sufficient on-site parking, to park on-
street and avoid time limits and parking fees.
A resident parking permit is issued for a vehicle of an eligible resident provided the property does not have
on-site parking available for that vehicle.
The maximum number of permits issued to any one rateable property will not exceed the following limits:
Zone Type A
• A household in Zone Type A, without any on-site parking spaces, is eligible for one parking permit.
• The one permit will be transferable for use on up to three nominated vehicles registered to that address.
• Each room of an eligible boarding house will be treated as a separate dwelling eligible for one resident
parking permit.
• No permits will be issued to households with one or more on-site parking spaces.
Zone Type B
• A household in Zone Type B, without any on-site parking spaces, is eligible for up to two parking
permits.
• Each room of an eligible boarding house will be treated as a separate dwelling eligible for one resident
parking permit.
• A household with one on-site parking space is eligible for one parking permit for a second vehicle.
• No permits will be issued to households with two or more on-site parking spaces.
The existing resident permit parking scheme in Balmain East is operating as Zone B.
Visitor Parking Permits
Visitor parking permits enable residents' visitors to park on-street and avoid time limits and parking fees for
the period of operation of the permit. Visitor permits are issued for residential properties only.
Such visitor permits will be single use, one-day permits. The annual allocation of visitor permits for eligible
households will be up to 30 one-day permits.
2.1.3. Relationship between Permit Parking Guidelines and Draft Public Domain
Parking Policy
Both the Roads and Maritime guideline and Inner West Council policy follow a similar philosophy of prioritising
distribution to households with no available off-street parking. The Roads and Maritime guideline is more
standardised with a fixed allocation of one per bedroom or two per household, capped by the maximum
available on-street parking space.
EXISTING CONDITIONS
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The Inner West Council provision is varied with permits allowance based zonally, where Zone Type A has
stricter criteria while also providing fewer on-street parking spaces per household. These Zones have not yet
been defined by the policy. The Council also has specific rules regarding different types of development of
which specific types will be excluded from the schedule depending on the area of the LGA. There are no
clauses within the policy on limiting total number of permits issued in regard to the quantum of available
parking spaces on a street. Accordingly, as the policy is silent on this limit, it is expected that the issuance of
resident parking permits should not exceed the cap set by the Roads and Maritime guideline, that is, the
maximum available on-street parking spaces on a street.
2.2. Study Area
2.2.1. The Study Area
The Balmain East Parking Study area is positioned at the north eastern end of the newly formed Inner West
Council, which merged from the three councils of Ashfield, Leichhardt and Marrickville in 2016; Balmain East
having been within the jurisdiction of former Leichhardt Council. The area generally comprises of a
combination of residential units and homes, a small shopping strip at the crest of Darling Street hill and some
commercial/industrial sites at the northern part of the suburb. There are also redeveloped industrial sites and
much of the foreshore lands were converted to open space. The study area includes Balmain East Wharf,
which was upgraded in 2015 to improve ferry services. This parking study area is bounded within the Balmain
Peninsula east of Cooper Street and Jubilee Place as shown in Figure 2.1.
EXISTING CONDITIONS
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Figure 2.1: Balmain East study area
2.2.2. Key Streets and Sites
The study area comprises a few key streets and sites that greatly affect the dynamics of the precinct and how
the area functions. Figure 2.2 identifies two major streets and 12 key places of interest that play a vital role in
the study area and these are further detailed in Table 2.1.
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Figure 2.2: Key streets and sites within the Balmain East Precinct
Table 2.1: Key streets and sites within the Balmain East Precinct
Reference
Key Streets
Description
A
Darling Street
Main thoroughfare and high street of Balmain East and a noted café
and restaurant strip. The main local road is aligned east-west and
has both residential and commercial activities.
B
Nicholson Street
Main local collector road aligned north-south with commercial and
residential uses.
1
Balmain East Wharf
Having operated since 1840, it is served by Sydney Ferries’ Cross
Harbour route operating between Pyrmont Bay and Watsons Bay via
Barangaroo. Balmain East wharf is also served by weekday and
Saturday evening Parramatta River services from Sydney Olympic
Park.
2
Balmain East shopping village
Located in the heart of Balmain East with Darling Street being the
main core of commercial activity. The area comprises of local shops,
cafes, restaurants, and a hotel.
3
Nicholson Street Public School and
Balmain East Out of School Care
Nicholson Street Public School with 150 students.
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Reference
Key Streets
Description
4
NSW Police Marine Area Command
Located at south west of Balmain East at the end of Jubilee Place,
the NSW Marine Area Command has the responsibility for all coastal
areas in NSW.
5
Illoura Reserve
Located on the eastern shoreline of Balmain, Illoura Reserve looks
directly at Barangaroo Reserve and is situated next to Balmain East
Ferry Wharf.
6
Lookes Avenue Reserve
Located at the end of Lookes Avenue (east of Balmain East). A
small local park with good views of the western side of Sydney
Harbour Bridge. Free entry and opening times from 8am to 1:30am.
7
Simmons Point Reserve
Located at the north east of the area. A small local park with views
of the western side of Sydney Harbour Bridge. Opening hours from
10am to 1:30am.
8
Origlass Park
Located at the centre of the area and is open 24 hours. Has three
walkway accesses with no car access.
9
Propeller Park
Also referred to as The Avenue. It is an open space along the
foreshore with views out to Sydney Harbour. Located at the north
west of the area.
10
Svitzer Australia Pty Ltd
A company located at the north west corner of the area with
transportation services providing harbour towage, terminal towage,
and emergency response in the sea.
11
Water Wharf Workshops
Waterview Wharf Workshops is a heritage-listed former shipping
company workshops at 37 Nicholson Street, Balmain.
12
Commercial Building
The commercial building includes some different business premises
in located North side of Nicholas Street. The operation time for the
business are from 9:00am to 5:00pm.
2.2.3. Public Transport
The precinct is well covered by public transport including bus and ferry providing access to the Sydney CBD.
The Balmain East ferry wharf located in the east of the precinct provides access to the Inner Harbour ferry
services, with ferry services to Circular Quay and Darling Harbour.
There is one bus service that leaves from Balmain East, Route 442, which is a frequent bus service from
Balmain East to the Queen Victoria Building in the Sydney city centre.
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Figure 2.3: Public Transport Map within the Precinct
Source: https://transportnsw.info/
Table 2.2: Public transport within the Precinct
Service
Route Number
Route Description
Frequency On/Off-Peak
Bus
442
City QVB to Balmain East Wharf (Loop
Service)
6 per hour peak/ 6 per hour
off-peak
Ferry
F4
Cross Harbour
2 per hour peak/2 per hour
off-peak
F3
Circular Quay
2 per hour peak/ 2 per hour
off-peak
2.3. Existing Travel Behaviour
2.3.1. Journey to Work
The 2016 Census Statistical Areas 1 (SA1) that make up the Destination Zones (DZ) covering the study area
for the purpose of a journey to work mode share analysis are shown in Figure 2.4.
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Figure 2.4: Boundary of the relevant SA1s in the study area
Source: https://itt.abs.gov.au/itt/r.jsp?ABSMaps
As indicated in Figure 2.5, residents in the relevant SA1s have a high non-car journey to work mode share of
53 per cent. This high non-car mode share is likely a result of the SA1s’ close proximity to the Balmain East
Wharf and the bus route 442 providing frequent services to the major employment centre in Sydney CBD.
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Figure 2.5: Journey to work mode share for residents in the relevant SA1s
2.3.2. Car Ownership
Based on the 2016 Census, the suburb of Balmain East has 15 per cent of households not owning a motor
vehicle and 47 per cent of households owning one car. Figure 2.6 shows that this percentage of zero car
ownership and one-car ownership is consistent with that of the entire Inner West Council area while the rate
of ownership of two cars in Balmain East is higher than Inner West at-large. This indicates that the suburb of
Balmain East is comparably more dependent on private vehicles as a method of travel, which is also reflected
in the overall rate of car ownership of 1.3 vehicles per household in Balmain East compared to 1.2 vehicles
per household in the overall Inner West Council area. This slightly higher car ownership rate may be due to
Balmain East’s location at the end of a peninsula that is relatively isolated from other parts of the Inner West
and Greater Sydney, despite the strong public transport access to the city centre (which represents only one
of many possible destinations).
Bus 11%
Ferry 24%
Car 47%
Motorbike/scooter
1%
Bicycle 2%
Other 1%
Walked only 4%
Worked at
home 9%
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Figure 2.6: Percentage of vehicle ownership
Source: https://quickstats.censusdata.abs.gov.au/
2.4. Local Car Sharing Initiatives
Car share schemes have become increasingly common throughout Sydney and are now recognised as a
viable transport option for drivers. They offer an alternative to the private car and are of benefit to the
residents of the area. Car share forms an integral part of the ongoing transformation of the Inner West to
reduce vehicle ownership of existing and future residents, especially as a second vehicle. This is crucial for
areas gravitating towards high-density living where on-site car parking typically does not support ownership
of more than one vehicle.
GoGet car share has three car share pods within the Balmain East area as shown in Figure 2.7 but this
amount is generally limited compared to other suburbs in the Inner West LGA due to the absence of major
employment activities and medium to high density residential developments in this suburb.
Car Next Door is a peer to peer car sharing businesses where car owners are able to rent out their car when
it is not being used at a time-based rate. Given its crowdsourcing nature, there is no permanent fleet
established in Sydney in the same manner as GoGet. However the Car Next Door website indicates there are
vehicles available for hire in the Balmain East study area.
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Figure 2.7: Go-Get car share pods in the Balmain East Precinct
Source: Go-Get Cars (www.goget.com.au)
2.5. Parking Supply and Conditions
2.5.1. Background to Parking in Balmain East
Parking in Balmain East principally comprises on-street parking on residential streets with the exception of
small pockets of time-restricted parking along the small shopping strip on Darling Street in the centre of
Balmain East, as well as pockets of public off-street parking as documented in Figure 2.2.
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2.5.2. Parking Supply within Balmain East
Figure 2.8: Balmain East Parking Restrictions Map
BE – “8am-6pm / Permit holders excepted Area A BE” or “8am-10pm / Permit Holders Excepted Area BE”
Figure 2.8 shows an overview of the parking restrictions in Balmain East. The on-street parking in the eastern
half of the suburb is predominantly subject to the ‘BE’ resident permit parking zone, exempting holders of a
resident parking permit from the prevailing two-hour time restriction (refer to the sub-section below). The
remaining streets as shown in Figure 2.8 have unrestricted parking, with small pockets of time-restricted
parking near the shops on Darling Street and elsewhere in the suburb. A small selection of disabled parking
spaces is available across the study area in both residential and commercial areas.
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2.5.3. Resident Parking Scheme
Figure 2.9: Residential Parking Scheme – Leichhardt BE
Source: Inner West Council (https://www.innerwest.nsw.gov.au/live/information-for-residents/parking/permit-parking) (March 2020)
The BE residential parking scheme in the Balmain East study area is depicted in Figure 2.9. As mentioned
earlier in the preceding sub-section, the BE zone allows holders of a resident parking permit to be exempt
from the prevailing two-hour time restriction, which is a 2P restriction from Monday to Friday from 8am to
6pm. Resident parking permits are currently issued to residents living in the properties shown in Figure 2.9,
with a maximum of two permits issued to a household if there is no off-street parking and two or more
vehicles are registered to a property. These permits are free of charge to eligible residents.
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2.6. Parking Demand
2.6.1. Parking Surveys
The on-site parking surveys were conducted on Saturday, 15 February and Wednesday, 19 February 2020.
The overall survey extent is the same as the study area as shown earlier in Figure 2.1. The parking survey
included all Council-controlled on-street and off-street parking available to the public and involved the
following tasks:
• Parking inventory collection
o Inventory of parking capacity and restrictions
o Parking signage audit comprising photographs and GPS coordinates of all signs.
• Parking Occupancy and duration of stay/turnover rate surveys
o Two-hourly interval (Wednesday, 8am to 8pm)
o Two-hourly interval (Saturday, 10am to 2pm).
2.6.2. Survey Analysis
Occupancy
The reported ‘average peak’ parking occupancy rate in this study is expressed as the mean of the four
highest hourly occupancies, irrespective of when those highest occupancies occurred. This metric is known
as ‘average peak occupancy’ and GTA uses this method to offset any outliers of extremely high demand as
well as avoiding being solely focused on the peak hour of occupancy. This method is a more realistic
measure of an occupancy rate that road users can expect throughout the day rather than at one specific
hour.
The Saturday parking data, having only three observations, was compiled and calculated as an average
instead.
The occupancy rates are subsequently grouped into three different categories, they are as below:
• 0%-69%, these parking spaces are regarded as low usage, where car parks are sparsely occupied, and
customers are expected to find a parking spot at first instance.
• 70%-89%, these parking spaces are at an optimal utilisation level where it has a high degree of
utilisation indicating the kerbside space or land allocated to parking are not underused but there are
enough spaces available for drivers to be able to find a parking space without circling around.
• 90%+, these car parks are almost if not already at full capacity and drivers will struggle to find any
available spaces in the first instance, leading to localised cruising for parking and consequent
congestion.
The weekday average peak and weekend average parking occupancies from the parking surveys are shown
in Figure 2.10 and Figure 2.11.
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Figure 2.10: Weekday average peak occupancy
As shown in Figure 2.10, there is evidence of high average peak occupancies on the surveyed weekday,
reaching or exceeding 90 per cent along streets with residential permit parking restrictions such as Nicholson
Street, Darling Street and Johnston Street. Farther away from the centre of Balmain East, the average peak
occupancy declines to an optimal range of between 70 to 90 per cent on streets closer to the edges of the
study area and the Balmain peninsula.
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Figure 2.11: Weekend average occupancy
As shown in Figure 2.11, weekend average occupancies are discernibly lower than those of the surveyed
weekday with only selected street segments exhibiting average occupancies of or over 90 per cent. The
remainder of the study area’s weekend average occupancy ranges between 70 and 90 per cent on streets
closer to the centre of Balmain East while average occupancies are below 70 per cent on streets near the
edges of the study area and the Balmain peninsula.
A potential explanation between the differences in the weekday and weekend occupancies is that on the
weekday, residents leave their cars parked on-street while they go to work using other transport modes,
while on the weekend more residents take their cars out for weekend excursions which reduces the average
occupancy. Moreover, it is more likely there is commuter parking on a weekday than the weekend, which
also contributes to the higher occupancies on the weekday.
Duration of stay
Duration of stay is evaluated by recording the total dwell time of all surveyed parked vehicles. Over the entire
survey period, the durations of stay for all individual vehicles surveyed are averaged to derive an average
duration of stay calculation for every street. The average duration of stay metric is useful for understanding
the characteristics of the intended parking purpose of users. Short-stay parking is defined as a parking
duration of less than three hours while any duration of three hours or more is long-stay parking. Short-stay
parking could encompass people visiting residents or the local shops while long-stay parking could comprise
residents’ parking, commuter parking or staff parking from nearby places of employment. The weekday and
weekend average durations of stay are displayed in Figure 2.12 and Figure 2.13.
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Figure 2.12: Weekday average duration of stay
Figure 2.13: Weekend average duration of stay
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As most of the Balmain East study area comprises unrestricted parking or residential permit parking within
residential streets, the average durations of stay observed for the surveyed weekday and weekend are
principally greater than three hours with some streets exhibiting average durations of stay greater than eight
hours also observed on the weekday, which constitutes long-stay parking. It is not known whether there were
average durations of stay greater than eight hours on the surveyed weekend since the survey period only
lasted four hours.
Notwithstanding the predominance of long-stay parking as shown in Figure 2.12 and Figure 2.13, short-stay
parking was observed primarily in the weekend near the shops on Darling Street as well as near Illoura
Reserve and Thornton Park at the eastern edge of the study area beside Balmain East wharf.
Turnover Ratio
Turnover is the total number of individual cars occupying a certain parking space or street of parking spaces
over a defined survey period. High turnover indicates more parking activity at a location (e.g. more customers
accessing on-street parking to go to the shops) while low turnover indicates very few individual cars park at a
location during a survey period due to an absence of attractors that generate visitation.
Relying on turnover data alone will induce biases due to spatial variances in parking capacity where streets
with a high capacity could result in higher turnover despite having a relatively low occupancy rate. To address
this bias, GTA uses the turnover ratio metric to appraise how frequent a street is used by parking users
during a survey period in relation to that street’s parking capacity. This ratio is calculated by dividing the
number of individual cars parked on a street on the survey day by the parking capacity.
The weekday and weekend turnover ratios are displayed in Figure 2.14 and Figure 2.15.
Figure 2.14: Weekday turnover ratio
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Figure 2.15: Weekend turnover ratio
The turnover ratios observed in Figure 2.14 and Figure 2.15 are higher during weekdays especially along
Darling Street where there is some retail and hospitality activity attracting more than twice as many cars
compared to parking supply over the weekday survey period. The residential streets elsewhere on the
weekday have a ratio less than two, indicating a low level of demand over the course of the day in relation to
capacity. This likely means that these streets do not attract many individual vehicles other than those that
usually park there such as residents’ vehicles.
On the weekend, the turnover ratio is demonstrably lower than the weekday with many more streets having a
ratio of less than one. This suggests that in conjunction with the lower occupancies on a weekend, as
residents take their car out for weekend excursions, there is a low level of replacement from other individual
vehicles on the weekend and there is higher parking availability and lower usage compared to the weekday.
2.6.3. Accessible Parking Spaces
As observed in Figure 2.8, disabled parking spaces are sporadically spread across Balmain East, and a total
of 11 parking spaces comprising both on-street and off-street spaces were counted during the survey. The
average peak occupancy for these accessible parking spaces was 64 per cent during the weekday while it is
43 per cent for the weekend. Based on the analysis provided in sub-section 2.6.2, occupancy rates for
accessible parking in Balmain East are considered to be low with a high degree of availability.
An average duration of stay of 6 hours and 12 minutes was observed for vehicles parked within the disabled
parking spaces during the weekday survey, which is considered as long-stay parking and is supported by an
average turnover ratio of 1.1 over the same survey period. Consequently, accessible parking use in Balmain
East is characterised by long-stay and low turnover parking, albeit at a level that does not cause high parking
occupancy levels.
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2.6.4. Boat Trailer Surveys
As part of the conducted surveys, the presence of boat trailers parked on-street was also recorded to inform
Council whether this occurrence is prevalent in the study area. For example, if boat trailer parking was found
to be ubiquitous in Balmain East, resulting in boat trailers taking up the premium of kerbside space that could
otherwise have been used for on-street parking or other uses, then Council could use this evidence to inform
future policy approaches to manage boat trailer parking.
To that end, the results of the survey for boat trailer parking across the same survey days are shown in Figure
2.16 and Figure 2.17 below.
Figure 2.16: Weekday boat trailer parking
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Figure 2.17: Weekend boat trailer parking
As shown, scant boat trailers were observed during the surveys, with a total of three boat trailers observed on
the weekday and the weekend both confined to Jubilee Place and Edward Street. Based on Figure 2.16 and
Figure 2.17, it is concluded that boat trailer parking is not an ubiquitous phenomenon in Balmain East.
2.6.5. Demand Implications
Based on the results of the preceding occupancy, duration of stay, turnover and boat trailer parking analysis,
the following conclusions can be made about parking demand characteristics in Balmain East:
• Average peak parking occupancies in Balmain East are high on the weekday (at or over 90 per cent) in
the central core of streets subject to the BE residential parking permit zone such as Darling Street,
Nicholson Street and Johnston Street, but occupancies taper off in the residential streets closer to the
edges of the study area and Balmain Peninsula to a level that ensures outside visitors have a chance to
find parking without circling around.
• On the weekend, occupancies taper off compared to the weekday, suggesting more residents are
taking their cars out for excursions, leaving more on-street parking capacity available. Conversely, more
residents leave their cars parked on a weekday, suggesting more trips to work via other means, which is
consistent with the greater than 50 per cent non-car journey to work mode share in Figure 2.5.
• The average durations of stay and turnover ratios observed on both the weekday and weekend are
consistent with that of a predominantly residential setting; principally long-stay parking greater than
three hours was the most widespread parking duration observed and supported by turnover ratios of
less than two hours.
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• Notwithstanding the predominant average duration of stay and turnover ratio trends, pockets of higher
turnover and lower durations of stay were observed in areas such as the small shopping strip on Darling
Street as well as the parks near Balmain East wharf.
• Boat trailer parking was not observed to be a widespread occurrence in Balmain East.
2.7. Parking Signage Check
A product of the amalgamation of the former constituent councils of Inner West Council is an amalgam of
different signage types that regulate parking throughout the LGA. Many of these signs have been used
historically but no longer represent standard practice as stipulated by TfNSW and many of the signs that
regulate the same aspect of parking (e.g. a 1/4P restriction) may look different depending on the location
within the LGA.
Accordingly, as part of this study, GTA was tasked with identifying general inconsistencies in signage and
recommend standardisation where appropriate. GTA used the TfNSW standards on signage as the as the
source of truth for what is the correct parking signage
1
to be used throughout the LGA moving forward.
To ensure consistency with the current TfNSW parking signage standards, GTA reviewed all photographed
signs captured as part of the parking survey in Balmain East and identified that outdated and/or irregularly
dimensioned signs are present within the study area. All non-compliant signs, examples of their locations and
the recommended TfNSW signs are identified in Table 2.3 below. Another observation is the common
sighting of discoloured or damaged signs that might potentially render them legally void. GTA recommends
that Council replace such signs promptly to avoid enforcement complications from illegible signs.
The detailed locations of the non-compliant signs are available from the repository of sign photographs and
geographical location IDs provided to Council by GTA via email and electronic file transfer on 18 March
2020.
Table 2.3: Non-compliant signs and recommended sign
Locations
Current sign and issue
Recommended TfNSW sign example
Darling Street, Paul Street
“1 hour” or “2 hour” is no longer
used
R5-1-1
1
https://www.rms.nsw.gov.au/cgi-bin/index.cgi?action=searchtrafficsigns.form
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Locations
Current sign and issue
Recommended TfNSW sign example
William Street
“No parking” is no longer used
R5-40
2.8. Resident Permit Parking Allocation
A key aspect of the existing parking conditions in Balmain East is the current operation of the BE residential
parking permit zone and the quantum of permits that are allocated. The number of permits allocated in
comparison to the parking capacity of a street or the permit zone reveals the proportion of the capacity that
has been set aside for residential permit parking. The Permit Parking Guidelines from Roads and Maritime
Services stipulate that the number of permits issued for an area should not exceed the number of available
on-street parking spaces in that area.
In the case of Balmain East and based on data provided by Inner West Council, there are 303 resident
permits, 317 visitor permits and 18 business permits issued for the BE zone. Meanwhile, across the entire BE
permit parking zone, there are only 227 total permit parking spaces available, indicating the total quantum of
permits issued is almost three times the available parking capacity. Accordingly, there is evidence of
overallocation of parking permits in Balmain East, contrary to the guidelines referenced above.
Table 2.4 provides a detailed breakdown of the number of permits issued per street in relation to the total
capacity of parking spaces on a street subject to the BE zone, which provides an insight into which streets
exhibit localised overallocation. Streets with overallocation are highlighted in red in the table. As shown in
Table 2.4, permit overallocation is pervasive across all streets except Johnston Street and Weston Street.
Table 2.4: BE residential parking permit zone – number of permits issued per street in relation to the total
capacity of parking spaces subject to the BE zone
Location
Number of business
permits
Number of residential
permits
Total capacity of
parking spaces subject
to the BE zone
Brett Avenue
4
0
Clifton Street
3
0
Darling Street
12
64
37
Duke Street
27
5
Gallimore Avenue
4
5
Hosking Street
14
0
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Location
Number of business
permits
Number of residential
permits
Total capacity of
parking spaces subject
to the BE zone
James Lane
3
4
Johnston Street
8
21
Lookes Avenue
9
13
Nicholson Street
5
51
46
Paul Street
36
20
Pearson Street
1
38
39
Simmons Street
9
13
St Marys Street
8
9
Weston Street
3
10
William Street
21
5
Balmain East total
18
303
227
The consequence of this overallocation is that there are more permits issued than the parking capacity of the
zone or street allows, causing further difficulties for residents to find an available parking space as more than
the available capacity has been set aside for residential permit parking, and is a classic example of the
‘tragedy of the commons’. In contrast, had the Roads and Maritime guidelines been adhered to or the permit
cap set at below capacity, then those issued with residential parking permits should not be confronted with
parking resource allocation problems.
2.9. Community Survey
In order to understand the day-to-day community views on the current parking situation, Council has directly
engaged with the local community including residents, business owners and shopkeepers. An extensive
questionnaire letter “Make parking fairer” detailing this parking study was advertised via social media and the
Council website. Anyone member of the public could also request a physical copy of the questionnaire.
2.9.1. Survey Statistics
After a consultation period of one month during February to March 2020, Council received 369 questionnaire
responses; the key insights to the responses are as follows:
• 83 per cent of the respondents responded “Yes” to living in Balmain East
• 79 per cent of the respondents live in a house
• 42 per cent of the respondents usually park less than 100 metres away from their place of residence
• 49 per cent of the respondents responded “Yes” to having off-street parking at their residence, 28%
percent of whom have more than one off-street parking space
• 70 per cent of the respondents responded having trouble finding parking daily in their area
• throughout the week, evenings/nights are the most chosen timeframe for issues finding a parking spot
near the respondents’ residence
• 97 per cent of the respondents live in the Balmain East postcode area, the others are all from adjacent
postcode areas.
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2.9.2. Survey Responses
In addition to the respondents’ characteristics highlighted above, the questionnaire also asked respondents
on their views towards different aspects of parking management in Balmain East, especially concerning ways
to manage residential parking, commuter parking and visitor parking. The results and commentary are
provided below.
Figure 2.18: Respondents’ views toward addressing residential parking management
The respondents highly favour resident parking permits to be made available to only those residents of dwellings
without any off-street parking or in a manner that can be purchased by residents on an as-needed basis. There
is also a substantial number of respondents favouring the status quo of free residential parking permits and
leaving the existing scheme untouched with better enforcement.
Figure 2.19: Respondents’ views toward addressing commuter parking
The most popular mechanism supported by respondents is to deter commuter parking via weekday business
hour time restrictions, which is how the existing BE resident parking scheme operates.
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3. SWOT ANALYSIS
3.1. SWOT Analysis
In developing the parking study, a SWOT (strength, weaknesses, opportunities and threats) analysis of
parking within Balmain East was undertaken. The results of the SWOT analysis for Balmain East within the
context of parking is presented in Table 3.1
Table 3.1: SWOT Analysis for Balmain East Precinct Parking Study
Strengths
Weaknesses
• Low residential density and low capacity for
redevelopment, resulting in low growth in parking
demand from residents in the future.
• Residents appreciate prioritising paid parking permits
on an as-needed basis.
• Low turnover and higher durations of stay mean that
visitor parking demand for the residential streets
outside of the main Darling Street is low.
• Most properties in Balmain East do not have off-street
parking, meaning demand for parking cannot be
internalised.
• High (≥90 per cent) parking occupancy on some
residential streets combined with a residential parking
permit system that does not encourage turnover and is
not allocated by need or price, meaning this occurrence
may persist.
• Coverage of residential permit parking zone over the
main Darling Street makes it hard for visitors to access
the parking to visit the local cafes and shops.
Opportunities
Threats
• Reform residential parking permit allocation to ensure
there is no overallocation and is allocated better
according to parking needs.
• Explore opportunities to expand the coverage and
quantum of car share pods to increase its
convenience to residents as a means to reduce car
ownership rates and on-street parking demand.
• Longstanding overallocation of residential parking
permits (residents, visitors and businesses) creates the
perception that anyone eligible for a permit can get a
parking space, despite capacity constraints.
PARKING MANAGEMENT CASE
STUDIES
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4. PARKING MANAGEMENT
CASE STUDIES
4.1. Introduction
The purpose of this section is to run through relevant examples of how parking issues similar to those found
in Balmain East have been dealt with to inform this parking study’s recommendations contained in Section 5
of this report. In particular, management approaches to parking on residential streets will be explored.
4.2. Parking Management on Residential Streets
Parking hierarchies are a common policy approach used by local governments across Australia and New
Zealand to address issues of competing demand for kerbside space on residential streets as well as other
street types among differing user groups. Such hierarchies serve as a guideline to accommodate and
prioritise various user groups within a local place context.
4.2.1. Parking hierarchies in other cities
Austroads
According to the Austroads Guide to Traffic Management Part 11 on parking, a robust parking hierarchy
should take into account the following:
• safety and convenience of all road users
• encourage moving shift from private vehicle usage
• equitable and transparent parking space allocation
• enable a consistent vision for parking infrastructure.
The guide presents an example parking hierarchy that sets out a recommended hierarchy across different
place contexts, as shown in Figure 4.1.
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Figure 4.1: Example parking hierarchy from Austroads
Source: Austroads Guide to Traffic Management Part 11 (2017) based on Glenorchy City Council (2007)
As shown in Figure 4.1, it recommends kerbside space be allocated for public transport and residents as the
highest priority for ‘outer areas’ (which could include residential streets such as those in Balmain East), while
commuter parking is a low priority. On commercial streets such as those found in the shopping strip on
Darling Street, kerbside uses that support businesses such as loading, public transport and short-stay
parking for customers are a high priority while long-stay parking and parking for residents is discouraged.
It is noted that Figure 4.1 is only an example guide and councils have the discretion to set out their own
parking management hierarchies. For instance, the current version of Council’s draft Public Domain Parking
Policy does not include a parking management hierarchy.
The subsequent sub-sections detail examples of parking management hierarchies put into practice by cities
in other jurisdictions.
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Christchurch, New Zealand
Figure 4.2: Parking management hierarchy in Christchurch
Christchurch City Council in New Zealand has adopted a parking management hierarchy to manage kerbside
parking in its suburbs (Figure 4.2). The hierarchy is broadly consistent with the Austroads guideline where
public transport and disability parking are prioritised in residential areas followed by parking for residents.
Short-stay parking is more prioritised in commercial areas to generate more visitors.
It is worth nothing commuter parking is consistently of the least importance across all place contexts; this is in
agreement with the sentiments reflected from public consultation.
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Kingston, VIC
Figure 4.3: Parking management hierarchy in Kingston, VIC
Source: Parking Management Strategy, City of Kingston Victoria (2019)
The City of Kingston, VIC acknowledges the current demand for parking often exceeds the available supply in
their municipality and has established a framework for parking user priorities across different areas (e.g.
residential and commercial areas). The priorities (with A being the most important and C the least important)
are used to provide a clear hierarchy in establishing future traffic and parking regulations.
In residential areas, priority for kerbside space is given to parking for residents and public transport over
other user groups such as commuters and school pick up and drop off, while short-stay parking is prioritised
in commercial areas.
4.2.2. Residential parking permit cap
Since the Roads and Maritime permit parking guideline sets out a residential parking permit cap of no more
than 100 per cent of the parking capacity of the permit zone, discretion is available to councils to set this cap
at below 100 per cent of capacity. While this has not been practised in Balmain East, Auckland in New
Zealand is one city which has implemented a residential parking permit cap of 85 per cent of the total number
of parking spaces in a residential permit parking zone
2
. The rationale behind this reduced cap is that it
ensures a greater availability of parking for residents and visitors at all times and avoids permit overallocation
problems altogether. Such a system has now been rolled out to selected inner city historic suburbs in
Auckland where residential off-street parking is scarce, which is a similar environment to Balmain East.
4.3. Summary
By leaning on the findings from the above case studies on parking management for residential streets, there
are aspects that could be incorporated by Council across Balmain East and the wider Inner West area. The
most relevant lessons transferrable to the Balmain East and Inner West context include the establishment of a
kerbside space hierarchy that aligns with the local place context and allocates space to the different user
groups accordingly.
2
https://at.govt.nz/driving-parking/parking-permits/residential-parking-zone-permits-coupons/
RECOMMENDATIONS
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5. RECOMMENDATIONS
5.1. Introduction
The following details the development of a set of car parking strategy recommendations for the Balmain East
study area. These recommendations have been developed following the SWOT analysis in Section 3 and the
review of case studies in Section 4. The primary aim of these recommendations is to managing existing car
parking provision and demands in a balanced manner which considers the needs of all stakeholders.
5.2. Key Strategic Objectives
The review of existing conditions and the parking surveys undertaken in February 2020 showed that overall,
average peak parking occupancies in Balmain East are high on the weekday (at or over 90 per cent) in the
central core of streets subject to the BE residential parking permit zone but occupancies taper off in the
residential streets closer to the edges of the study area. In addition, pockets of higher turnover and lower
durations of stay were observed in areas such as the small shopping strip on Darling Street as well as the
parks near Balmain East wharf. Taking into account these characteristics, a number of recommendations
have been developed to achieve the following:
• Prioritisation of long-stay residential parking on residential streets over the provision for non-residential
long-stay user groups (i.e. commuters or employees).
• Consideration for the demand of short-stay user-groups for businesses where appropriate.
• Consistent parking policies and planning across the Inner West LGA.
5.3. Recommendations
5.3.1. Parking hierarchy
GTA has identified an existing high demand for on-street parking spaces as shown from the community
consultation and parking survey data, which results in conflict between residents and visitors for a limited
parking resource. To resolve such conflicts, a clear framework is required to inform current and future
management approaches to allocating kerbside space, including for parking.
This can be achieved by establishing a clear parking management hierarchy for the Inner West that includes
residential areas such as Balmain East. This could be adopted into future iterations of the draft Public Domain
Parking Policy before it is ratified by Council and will assist Council in allocating valuable kerbside space for
different types of parking as well as other transport functions, depending on the local environment. A
recommended hierarchy for the residential and commercial areas in Balmain East (and indeed the Inner West
at-large) could take the forms shown in Figure 5.1.
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Figure 5.1: Recommended parking management hierarchy
Residential
Commercial/Activity Centre
Priority
Arterial
Non-arterial
Arterial
Non-arterial
1
Safety:
Reduced crash risk.
Safety:
Reduced crash risk.
Safety:
Reduced crash risk.
Safety:
Reduced crash risk.
2
Existing Property access
(e.g. ensure existing
property accesses are
retained and also
accommodate vehicle
movements along the
street to access to
properties).
Existing Property access
(e.g. ensure existing
property accesses are
retained and also
accommodate vehicle
movements along the
street to access to
properties).
Existing Property access
(e.g. ensure existing
property accesses are
retained and also
accommodate vehicle
movements along the
street to access to
properties).
Existing Property access
(e.g. ensure existing
property accesses are
retained and also
accommodate vehicle
movements along the
street to access to
properties).
3
Footpath
(e.g. new footpaths or
widening to accommodate
high demand from
pedestrians).
Footpath
(e.g. new footpaths or
widening to accommodate
high demand from
pedestrians).
Footpath
(e.g. new footpaths or
widening to accommodate
high demand from
pedestrians).
Footpath
(e.g. new footpaths or
widening to accommodate
high demand from
pedestrians).
4
Public transport and
cycling
(e.g. public transport stops,
bus lane, cycleway).
Public transport and
cycling
(e.g. public transport stops,
bus lane, cycleway).
Public transport and
cycling
(e.g. public transport stops,
bus lane, cycleway).
Public realm
improvements:
(e.g. trees, landscaping,
dining areas).
5
Other vehicle movements
(e.g. cars, vans, trucks,
motorbikes).
Vehicle parking for
residents.
Other vehicle movements
(e.g. cars, vans, trucks,
motorbikes).
Mobility Parking.
6
Vehicle parking for
residents.
Public realm
improvements:
(e.g. trees, landscaping,
dining areas).
Mobility Parking.
Cycle parking.
7
Public realm
improvements:
(e.g. trees, landscaping,
dining areas).
Other vehicle movements
(e.g. cars, vans, trucks,
motorbikes).
Cycle parking.
Public transport and
cycling
(e.g. public transport stops,
bus lane, cycleway).
8
Commuter parking.
Commuter parking.
Public realm
improvements:
(e.g. trees, landscaping,
dining areas).
Vehicle parking for visitors.
9
Vehicle parking for visitors.
Other vehicle movements
(e.g. cars, vans, trucks,
motorbikes).
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It is worth highlighting that a high ranking on this hierarchy does not necessarily mean all kerbside space
should be allocated to that user group. Rather, it means that user group should be considered first and if their
needs are evaluated to have been met, then other user groups lower in the hierarchy should be considered.
For example, a high public transport priority in residential areas does not mean all space should be given to a
bus stop. If there is no bus route, then the local authority can then consider the next user group on the list
such as parking for residents. However, if a bus stop needed to be expanded due to operational adjustments
and some unrestricted parking spaces used primarily by residents needed to be acquired, then the
application of the hierarchy would mean the bus stop should take precedence.
The application of this parking management hierarchy also offers guidance for the management of narrow
kerbside space on narrow streets. For instance, it states that safety, property access and footpath provision
should be the three highest priorities for residential streets. Accordingly, on narrow streets (e.g. those less
than 6.0 m in carriageway width), the safety of all road users, access to properties (e.g. for residents’ cars
and emergency vehicles) as well as providing footpaths should be prioritised.
It is understood that through the ratification of Council’s Integrated Transport Strategy at the Extraordinary
Council Meeting on 3 March 2020, Council’s longstanding practice of allowing vehicle parking over footpaths
on narrow streets in selected suburbs such as Balmain East can also be rolled out LGA-wide. Adopting the
recommended hierarchy would not be in conflict with this policy. The hierarchy only states that safety,
property access and footpaths should be considered before vehicle parking for residents. In this regard,
where all three aspects can be provided in a narrow street, then vehicle parking can continue to be provided.
5.3.2. Residential Parking in Balmain East
Permit Cap
Based on the review and analysis of the parking surveys undertaken in February 2020, the high occupancy
rate along with longer average durations of stay in some residential streets may be a function of high demand
as well as the overallocation of residential parking permits relative to total parking capacity.
In fact, it is contrary to the mandatory Roads and Maritime permit parking guideline to issue more parking
permits than total parking capacity. As residential parking permits are reset throughout the LGA under the
soon-to-be-adopted Public Domain Parking Policy, it is recommended to at least cap the number of resident
parking permits to capacity or a 1:1 parking space to permits ratio, if not lower for Balmain East and all other
areas that have a resident parking permit scheme.
Resident Parking Permit Scheme
Aside from the permit cap recommendation, given the predominant residential character of the study area
and the need to supply parking for residents’ vehicles as most properties do not have off-street parking, it is
recommended that the existing BE resident permit parking scheme be continued under the new regime of the
Public Domain Parking Policy.
In terms of which zone (Zone Type A or Zone Type B) of the new regime should be implemented in Balmain
East, it is recommended that Balmain East changes from Zone Type B to Type A, meaning only those
dwellings without an off-street parking space is eligible for one permit only and any dwelling with one parking
space or more is ineligible for a permit. This recommendation is based on the predominance of narrow
streets and a premium of parking throughout the study area and the need to ensure the quantum of permits
issued do not exceed capacity. Assuming a 100 per cent of capacity permit cap, implementing Zone Type A
will result in fewer permits issued but across more eligible households, freeing up more space on-street for
those residents without any off-street parking, as well as for visitors (see sub-section below).
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In contrast, adopting Zone Type B at a 100 per cent of capacity cap means that the cap would be saturated
earlier since more households can apply for more than one permit on a first-come first-serve basis, resulting
in fewer households overall being able to get one permit.
Moreover, implementing Zone A and capping it further (e.g. at 85 per cent) would result in an even greater
availability of parking for residents and visitors alike.
Permit Scheme Pricing
As the Roads and Maritime parking permit guideline and the draft Public Domain Parking Policy are silent on
permit pricing, it is recommended Council use the opportunity of priced parking permits (as current exists in
the former Ashfield Council area of the Inner West LGA) to better balance the allocation of residential parking
permits to those with a genuine need for on-street permit parking and a willingness to pay (i.e. those
residents without off-street parking but own a car have more willingness to pay), which is not inconsistent
with the feedback from the community survey. Hence, the pricing will be able to offset some of the demand
for parking permits.
5.3.3. Residential Visitor Parking Permit
Visitor parking permits under the Public Domain Parking Policy would continue in the form of the current
annual allocation of up to 30 one-day permits for eligible households. However, the availability of parking
spaces for visitors (irrespective of whether a visitor permit is used) is closely correlated with which zone
under the Public Domain Parking Policy is used for Balmain East and how it is implemented. To elaborate
further, in the case that Zone A is adopted for Balmain East and capped at 100 per cent of available parking
capacity, there is a better chance for visitors or even tradespeople to find a parking space.
In contrast, maintaining Zone B would result in more permits being issued since it is more likely households
are issued with multiple permits, leading to a greater demand for parking and less chance for visitors to
access parking.
5.3.4. Parking near shops on Darling Street
GTA’s on-site observations along with the parking survey results show that there is an insufficient turnover of
parking along the small section of shops on Darling Street in Balmain East to provide a churn of customer
access to these local cafes and stores. This is a result of very few solely time-restricted spaces available on
Darling Street with most time-restricted spaces being subject to the BE residential parking permit zone that
exempts residents from the time restriction.
Accordingly, it is recommended that Council allocate more time-restricted parking spaces with 1P or 2P
during business hours on weekdays and on Saturday from 8am until 1pm without any residential permit
parking overlay, and then after these business hours these spaces revert to unrestricted parking, during
which residents could park. The recommended coverage of this time-restricted area is shown in Figure 5.2.
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Figure 5.2: Recommended time-restricted parking area for Balmain East shops
Basemap Source: Google Maps
5.3.5. Boat Trailer Parking
Boat trailer parking was found not to be a significant issue in Balmain East due to the small quantity of boat
trailer parking relative to the study area size. Accordingly, no specific intervention is recommended in this
regard but in the future if the situation changes Council could consider implementing measures to restrict it.
5.3.6. Commuter Parking Permit Scheme
Based on community feedback, commuter parking for ferry users would be unpopular and is discouraged via
the existing BE residential permit parking scheme, although this could be better enforced based on this
feedback. Moreover, it is considered that commuter parking should not be encouraged in the study area
given its location at the end of a peninsula, as the increase in traffic flow to Balmain East from commuters
would cause discernible additional traffic effects on the study area. As such, the recommendation would be
to maintain the status quo of discouraging commuter parking through the operation of the reformed Zone A
permit parking zone that would by extension exclude commuter parking.
The Gallimore Avenue car park, given its proximity to the ferry wharf is likely to be used for commuter parking
during business hours and residential parking at other times given the surrounding residential land use. To
further discourage commuter parking, Council could consider incorporating this car park into the
recommended Zone A permit parking scheme for Balmain East through updated signage. This car park is not
recommended for conventional parking metering as such measures are typically only appropriate for short-
stay parking in activity centres.
5.3.7. Parking Signage Update
Given the inconsistencies in selected parking signs in the study area as identified in Section 2.7 of this report,
it is recommended that such signage be replaced with the standard signage is identified in Table 2.3.
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5.3.8. Implementation Timeframe
In terms of the implementation of the recommendations, these have been categorised into short-term and
long-term recommendations which reflect their relative priority and requisite timeframe required for
implementation.
Short term (0-5 years)
Item no.
Description
Streets affected
Priority
1
Inclusions of additional properties Clifton
Lane to RPS (these properties will be
limited to 1 BE permit only)
Simmons Street
High
2
2P 8am-10pm Permit Holders Excepted
area BE RPS expansion in Darling Street
between Duke Street and The Avenue (this
new section will be limited to 1 BE permit
and 1 visitor permit per property)
Darling Street (between Duke
Street and The Avenue)
High
3
Reduction of 6m length No Parking zone in
east side of Galimore Avenue, 30m north of
Darling Street.
Galimore Avenue
High
4
Parking management in Jubilee Place.
Angle parking opposite Police Marine Area
Command to be time limited 4P 8am-6pm
Mon-Fri, subject to dedication of land from
NSW Police.
Jubilee Place
High
5
Work with carshare operators to introduce
additional fixed car share spaces in
Balmain East
n/a
Medium
6
Development of Parking Hierarchy
All streets within Balmain East
Low
7
Replacement of redundant, faded,
damaged signs
Streets identified in the
signage audit within study
area.
Medium
Long term (5+ years)
Item no.
Description
Streets affected
Priority
8
Parking changes on Darling Street
shopfront/commercial area
Darling Street
High
9
Changes to boat trailer parking
management consistent with other areas
within Inner West LGA
Streets with historical boat
trailer issues
Low
10
Introduction of permit pricing on second
residential permit
All streets with RPS in
Balmain East
Low
11
Introduce residential permit parking in
Gallimore Avenue carpark
Galimore Avenue
Low
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(corner of Brett Avenue and Galimore
Avenue)
12
Transition to Permit zone type A within
Balmain East (Household without any on-
site parking spaces, is eligible for one
parking permit, transferrable up to three
nominated vehicles registered to that
address. Households with one or more
spaces are not eligible for permits)
All streets with RPS in
Balmain East
Low
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