Moved by Councillor Miller, seconded by
Councillor Scully -
It is resolved that:
(A)
Council
note:
(i)
enabling
more active transport is a key strategic priority for the City of Sydney under
Sustainable Sydney 2030;
(ii)
cycling
is a crucial part of protecting our residents, workers and visitors during the
Covid-19 pandemic because it is a safe, physically-distant and environmentally
friendly form of transport that reduces road congestion and reduces passenger
loads on public transport;
(iii)
the
City has worked with the NSW Government to implement six new pop-up cycleways
to encourage more cycling across the Local Government Area;
(iv)
the
Sydney Local Environmental Plan 2012 and Sydney Development Control Plan 2012
contain provisions for managing the transport and parking needs of the city to
limit the environmental and economic impacts of private car use. The provisions
also encourage walking, cycling, public transport and car sharing;
(v)
recent
reports indicate that that there has been a surge in bicycle sales and leases
in Sydney since March 2020. While measures are being taken to accommodate more
cyclists safely on the roads, there is often limited secure bicycle parking and
storage spaces in some older residential buildings that were approved and
constructed under previous planning controls when private vehicle use was
prioritised over more sustainable transport modes;
(vi)
when
vehicle parking spaces are approved as part of a development consent, the size,
number and location of those spaces are set out under the approved plans.
Conditions of consent are usually imposed that ensure parking spaces in a
development are retained for their intended uses and not used for general
storage, waste and the like; and
(vii)
if a
resident wanted to convert their private parking space to a bike parking space,
a modification consent would be required to amend the approved plans and/or
condition of consent that relates to the space, which would be a time consuming
and costly process for people who want to do the right thing and formalise the
arrangement; and
(B)
the
Chief Executive Officer be requested to investigate ways that the City can make
it easier for owners of private residential parking spaces in existing
developments to convert them to safe and secure bicycle parking spaces with
consideration given to:
(i)
prioritising
developments in areas that are well located in terms of proximity to public
transport and cycling infrastructure;
(ii)
retention
of all non-private parking spaces associated with the development such as for
service vehicles, car share, and visitor (and disabled visitor) spaces;
(iii)
likely
impacts on nearby on-street parking demand;
(iv)
links
to the City’s broader environmental outcomes as part of the Smart Green
Apartments program, promotion of NABERS for residential apartment buildings and
available grants for energy and water assessments; and
(v)
demonstrated
engagement with/support from other local stakeholders.
Carried
unanimously.
S129262