Residents fight new street rules for Sydney disabled parking spaces

A Sydney resident has been left in tears over a two-year bureaucratic battle centred on whether a disabled carparking space outside her home can be approved.

A Mosman resident has been left in tears over a bureaucratic battle centred a disabled carparking space outside her north shore home.

Marilyn Camacho has delivered an impassioned plea calling on Mosman Council to approve a disability carparking space outside her home to support her husband, who lives with Parkinson’s disease.

The Harnett St residents fought back tears as she detailed the lengthy process in having the application considered by traffic bureaucrats.

”I didn’t think it would be a problem going for one but I’ve been trying for three years to get a parking spot so I can help my husband but it has not been easy,” she said.

We can’t actually drive our car into the garage and then open the doors because my husband has disabled chairs and equipment we can’t get out (due to the size of the garage).

“It’s getting more and more difficult as he gets more frail.”

Marilyn Camacho says her husband relies on accessible parking.

The battle for the carparking space has been hamstrung by new Transport for NSW guidelines for carparking spaces which stipulate disabled parking spaces must have a minimum size requirement of 3.2m in width and 7.8m in length. 

According to the council, the size requirements are about 20 per cent larger than a typical parking bay in Mosman and therefore mean many streets are deemed unsuitable for disabled spaces.

Based on the standards, Transport for NSW objected to the carparking space outside Mr Camacho’s home due to “noncompliances” and “safety reasons”.

A photo of the proposed location of the disabled parking space in Mosman.

In response to Ms Camacho’s plea, Mosman Council has overridden Transport for NSW’s objections with councillors voting unanimously to support the carparking space

But there are warnings Transport for NSW standards could impact countless more residents living with a disability who may face similar challenges in securing parking spaces outside their properties.

Council figures show since late 2023, Transport for NSW has not supported the installation of at least five on-street disabled parking spaces in Mosman due to noncompliance standards.

Transport for NSW guidelines for disabled parking spaces have sparked anger from residents.

The council is now calling on Transport for NSW seeking a comprehensive review on the parking rules and to resolve matters through a “more pragmatic approach”.

Local councillor Simon Menzies said the issue would become more prevalent as a growing number of people choose to stay in their homes into their older years.

“Essentially the Minister for Transport is banning disabled parking for people who desperately require it to live in their homes and forcing them to go into retirement villages or hospices – it’s completely outrageous,” he said.

Mosman councillor Simon Menzies.

Councillor Pip Friedrich said the Transport for NSW standards “don’t work”.

“This issue is increasingly problematic as people need disabled parking spaces – they don't have three months to wait six months to wait, and we’re coming up against Transport for NSW,” she said.

“The spaces make a huge difference to people who have no other way of accessing their homes.”

In a statement, a Transport for NSW spokesman said the guidelines for disabled parking spaces are “designed to make them as safe as possible for all road users.”

“Transport is not currently considering changing the disabled car parking requirements, however will review parking design proposals from councils on a case-by-case basis when they deviate from standards,” the spokesman said.

“In cases where the available space cannot fully achieve the required dimensions and standards, councils are required to provide justifications for the non-compliance and ensure a safe and accessible design is developed to suit the conditions.

“If Transport is satisfied that the proposed parking designs are safe, the proposal will be supported.”

But Mosman Council says the implications of the guidelines means that council, in nearly all circumstances, is “not able to provide on-street disabled parking spaces”

“Where the existing road is narrow and the existing footpath is also narrow, achieving the standard would significantly compromise either the navigable traffic lanes or pedestrian movement on the adjacent footpath or both,” a council report stated.