Car spaces at apartment blocks less than half car ownership

[Andrea]

Research shows there is a car for every man, woman and child in Canberra. The average car ownership for adults 15 to 60 is more than one car per person. Many adults have two cars.

However the government only allows one and a half car parks for a two bedroom apartment regardless of the number of occupants. A common apartment configuration is one couple in the main bedroom and a single in the second.
t’hat is 3 cars per two bedroom apartment. That will be four cars when a friend stays over.

All of the cars not accommodated at apartment complexes become a public nuisance, filling up street parking to the detriment of residents and businesses, parked on nature strips, destroying grass, compacting soil and damaging trees and looking like an outdoor used car market.

We see the look of a used car market in front of many apartment complexes in Canberra. We only need to look at Majura Avenue developments for this congestion. The congestion is enhanced with some front gardens along Majura Avenue storing old cars for spare parts or a future restoration project.

Of course the need is to update the planning requirement for car spaces to be one space per person.

[RobeRobert]

I agree, it is also an issue as the suburbs are now filling up with new builds and apartments that also do not cater for more than one car in the complex. We have noticed what were car spaces outside our block of units are now being taken up with others who elsewhere down the street. The council should consider permit parking for residents for off street parking

[Author]

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