Shoalhaven tightens medium-density landscaping and parking rules

Shoalhaven City Council has amended the Shoalhaven Development Control Plan 2014, with councillors voting 7-6 at Tuesday's ordinary meeting to tighten landscaping requirements and rewrite parking rules for medium-density housing.

The amendment requires at least 10 per cent of a site to be deep soil landscaping, with a minimum dimension of 3 metres in any direction. Another 20 per cent of the site must be provided as formal landscaping area, 35 per cent of the front setback must be landscaped, and retaining walls higher than 0.6 metres in the front setback must be softened with planting for at least 600 millimetres on the low side for the full length of the wall.

Council also rewrote the open-space rules for ground-floor dwellings. The new wording requires a defined hardstand area of at least 12 square metres, with a minimum dimension of 3 metres, and 8 square metres of that area must be covered for shade and rain protection.

Private open space, including courtyards, upper-level balconies and decks, can be located in the front setback if it is screened to provide privacy to residents.

Parking rules were also amended for attached dwellings fronting a public road, dual occupancies and semi-detached dwellings. The rates are 1 space for a one-bedroom dwelling, 1.5 spaces for a two-bedroom dwelling and 2 spaces for dwellings with three or more bedrooms.

The resolution says the parking rates include visitor parking. It also says at least 1 parking space for each dwelling must be provided behind the building line. Extra spaces may be provided forward of the building line in a tandem arrangement if the setback is at least 5.5 metres and the vehicle can be accommodated wholly within the site.

Council extended the same parking framework to attached dwellings not fronting a public road, multi-dwelling housing, residential flat buildings and shop top housing. The amended note says a bedroom includes a room or rooms capable of use as a bedroom.

Clr Casmiri and Clr Steele moved the amendment. Clrs Killian, Boyd, Tribe, Krikstolaitis, Norris and Dunn voted against it.

Council also resolved that staff, as trained professionals, review the motion and report back before it goes to public exhibition.

The planning change follows earlier public discussion on the same issue. A public forum on 17 March dealt with a notice of motion on car parking and landscaping controls for medium density, while council has now adopted the amended wording for further review through the planning process.