Moreton Bay Council refuses to budge from its requirement of one parking space per unit in new developments

Moreton Bay Council refuses to budge from its requirement of one parking space per unit in apartment building developments.

Units at 738 Gympie Road, Lawnton have been approved with 13 parking spaces, one of which is disability parking. Picture: David Alexander

A NEW apartment development north of Brisbane was approved with near half the number of parking spaces required had it been assessed under Brisbane City’s new parking proposal.

Moreton Bay council has no plans to follow their Brisbane counterparts who this week voted to increase the number of parking spaces for new apartment developments, in parts of the city.

Brisbane councillors this week voted to increase the ratio of parking spaces per unit for future multi-dwelling developments across middle-ring and outer Brisbane.

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They must now apply to the State Government to amend the City Plan before it can go ahead.

If approved by the State Government, the new ratios would increase from 1.25 to two spaces for two bedrooms; 1.5 to two spaces for three bedrooms; and 1.5 to 2.5 spaces for four or more bedrooms.

Under the proposal, visitor carparking ratios would also increase and it would scrap regulations requiring multi-unit dwellings within 400m of a major public transport node to have fewer parking spaces.

The proposed amendment will be sent to the State Government to secure its permission to proceed to public consultation.

Presently in Moreton Bay, apartment developments in the Next Generation and Urban areas, require one space per apartment, regardless of how many bedrooms are in each unit.

“This reflects lesser parking requirements in zones which are typically better serviced by public transport and within walking distances to local services,” a council spokeswoman said.

A 23-unit development recently approved at 2 Ellison Pde, Mango Hill, was required to have 23 parking spaces.

Under the proposed Brisbane City Council plan, that development would have a minimum of 40 car parks based on the number of two-bedroom units it offers, almost double the number of parking spaces required under MBRC’s policy.

A 23-unit development was recently approved at 2 Ellison Pde, Mango Hill, with 23 parking spaces. Image: Ellivo

Likewise the new 12-unit apartment building at 738 Gympie Road, Lawnton has been approved with 13 spaces, one of which is disability parking.

The units are mostly two-bedroom with one three-bed, and limited on-street parking available.

Residents Bobbie Reilly and Rae Morey said one space per dwelling was not enough.

Ms Reilly said most households had a minimum of two cars, even more in shared accommodation while Ms Morey said there were already too many cars parked on the streets.

Barbara Hodgetts agreed there was an issue with parking at rental properties in which there could be three or more people in a unit which had only one parking space.

Capestone resident Justin Tyler though agrees with the Moreton Bay council’s stance, saying increasing the number of parking spaces would only increase the number of cars on the road.

“Why do we need more cars, especially when there’s a train station so close?” he said.

“As the population grows, it will get harder to drive and park. Peak hour is already getting longer and longer.

“The conversation needs to change. — we should be asking how can we use this to get a better outcome for the community.”

Mr Tyler suggested using car sharing companies like Goget.com.au and carnextdoor.com.au as an alternative to owning a car, though they mostly operated in the more densely populated areas.

These companies, in theory, offered members access to cars parked around the city that could be booked by the hour.

While Mr Tyler said he’d love to see more travel options, he acknowledged that sometimes it was simply more convenient to drive.

“There are 18 stops on the train line from Mango Hill East to the city and it takes about 55 minutes. It is sometimes quicker to drive there,” he said.