Gosford Parking Study Optimizes Rates and Strategies

GOSFORD STRATEGIC PARKING
STUDY REPORT

NOVEMBER 2011
REPORT NO. X11170_R01

PREPARED FOR
GOSFORD CITY COUNCIL

Gosford City Centre Strategic Parking Study
Prepared for Gosford City Council

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TABLE OF CONTENTS
1 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY.......................................................................................................1
2 INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................................3
3 EXISTING SITUATION ........................................................................................................4
3.1 Gosford City Centre .......................................................................................................4
3.2 Study Area ....................................................................................................................4
3.3 Public Parking................................................................................................................5

4 BACKGROUND REPORT REVIEW ......................................................................................7
4.1 Development Control Plan No.111 – Car Park Amendment No.1 – November 2000 ..............7
4.2 Connecting the Central Coast – The Central Coast Transport Action Plan RTA and Transport
NSW, August 2002 .....................................................................................................................9
4.3 Gosford City Centre LEP Review – Transport and Traffic Final Report - Scott Wilson Nairn
and Cardno MBK, June 2004 .......................................................................................................9
4.4 Gosford Vision 2025 – A Strategic Direction for the Future Gosford City Council, 2006 .......11
4.5 Gosford City Centre Plan – Development Control Plan Section 4 – Access, Parking and
Servicing -2007 ........................................................................................................................11
4.6 Gosford City Centre Local Environmental Plan 2007 ........................................................16
4.7 Gosford City Centre Vision Plan New South Wales Department of Planning, 2007 ...............17
4.8 Central Coast Regional Strategy NSW Government Department of Planning, 2008 ...............18
4.9 The Gosford Challenge – Masterplan for the Renewal of Gosford City Centre–2010 .............18
4.10 Gosford Masterplan Precincts ........................................................................................19
4.11 Revitalising Gosford City Centre Plan, Civic Improvement Plan NSW Government Department
of Planning, 2007 .....................................................................................................................25
4.12 Gosford City Centre – Transport Management & Accessibility Plan (TMAP) .......................26
4.13 Gosford Car Parks Review – Cardno July 2011.................................................................32
4.14 Key Observations of Current Policies .............................................................................34

5 CONSULTATION................................................................................................................35
5.1 Stakeholder Workshop ..................................................................................................35
5.2 Central Coast Regional Development Corporation Meeting................................................37
5.3 Gosford Hospital Precinct .............................................................................................37

6 GOSFORD TODAY AND TOMORROW .............................................................................38
7 CENSUS DATA VEHICLE OWNERSHIP REVIEW ...........................................................44
7.1 Land Use Characteristics ...............................................................................................44
7.2 Dwelling Type Distribution ...........................................................................................45
7.3 Dwelling Mix Comparison .............................................................................................46
7.4 Vehicle Ownership per Dwelling Assessment ...................................................................47

8 PARKING RATE REVIEW ..................................................................................................50
8.1 Residential Parking Rate Review .....................................................................................50
8.2 High Transit Access Parking Rates..................................................................................54

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8.3 Gosford Residential Rate Comparison ............................................................................ 56
8.4 Gosford Commercial Rate Comparison ...........................................................................59
8.5 Gosford Retail Parking Rate Comparison ........................................................................67
8.6 Recommended Residential, Commercial and Retail Parking Rates .......................................68
8.7 Parking Rates for other Uses ..........................................................................................69
8.8 Future Parking Demand versus Provision ................................................................70
9 INNOVATIVE PARKING PROVISION OPTIONS FOR CONSIDERATION ....................75
9.1 Long Term Parking in Gosford City Centre .....................................................................75
9.2 Option to Transfer of Long Term Parking .......................................................................75
9.3 Residential Parking Provision .........................................................................................76
9.4 Large Residential Developments .....................................................................................78
9.5 Parking Allocation of Residential Units ...........................................................................79

10 FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS ..........................................................................81
10.1 Short Term Strategies ...................................................................................................81
10.1.1 Council Policies ........................................................................................................................................ 81
10.2 Medium to Long Term Strategies ...................................................................................82
10.3 Precincts .....................................................................................................................82
10.4 Draft Recommended Parking Rates ................................................................................83
10.5 Parking Provision Best Practice ......................................................................................84

11 APPENDICES ......................................................................................................................85

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LIST OF FIGURES

Figure 1 - Study Area (NTS)
Figure 2 – Existing Main Public Car Parks
Figure 3 - Gosford Parking Loan Boundaries
Figure 4 - Existing Uses with Study Area (GTA 2009)
Figure 5 - Masterplan Identified Additional Parking Areas
Figure 6 – Gosford Masterplan Precincts
Figure 7 - The Waterfront Precinct
Figure 8 – The Arts & Entertainment Precinct
Figure 9 - The City Core Precinct
Figure 10 - The Railway Precinct
Figure 11 - The Hospital Precinct
Figure 12 – Census Zones
Figure 13: Boundary of the zone referred to in Table 2-9
Figure 14 – Boundaries of CCD’s in Gosford City Centre
Figure 15 – Vehicle Ownership Distribution in Gosford City Centre
Figure 16 – Sydney Metro Average Parking Policy Rates by Unit Size
Figure 17 – Projected Parking Demand 2021 Profile
Figure 18 – Projected Parking Demand 2031 Profile

LIST OF TABLES
Table 1 - Scott Wilson / Cardno LEP Traffic Report Recommended Parking Rates for Residential <600m from
Gosford Railway Station
Table 2 - Scott Wilson / Cardno LEP Traffic Report Recommended Parking Rates for Commercial <600m from
Table 3 - TMAP Recommended Parking Rates
Table 4 - TMAP Recommended Residential, Commercial & Retail Parking Rates
Table 5 - Baker Street Parking Allocation & Capacities
Table 6: Population estimates and projections for regions within Greater Metropolitan Region and estimated annual average geometric
growth rates (2006 to 2031) (ERP)
Table 7: Population estimates and projections for Gosford City Centre compared with areas within the Central Coast
Region and estimated annual average geometric growth rates (2006 to 2031) (ERP)
Table 8: Employment estimates and projections for regions within Greater Metropolitan Region and estimated
annual average geometric growth rates (2006 to 2031) (employed persons)
Table 9: Employment estimates and projections - Gosford City Centre compared with areas within the Central Coast
Region & est. annual avg geometric growth rates (2006 to 2031) (employed persons)
Table 10: Projected population for each City Centre zone (ERP, persons)
Table 11: Projected population change from 2006 (cumulative) for each City Centre zone (ERP, persons)
Table 12: Projected employment for each City Centre zone (employment)
Table 13: Projected employment change from 2006 (cumulative) for each City Centre zone (employment)
Table 14: Employment estimates and projections for Erina Zone and estimated annual average geometric growth
rates (2006 to 2031) (employed persons)
Table 15: Dwelling type distribution, remainder of Gosford LGA, City Centre and total Gosford LGA (frequency
count of dwellings)
Table 16 Dwelling type distribution, remainder of Gosford LGA, City Centre and total Gosford LGA (% of
dwellings in each subset)
Table 17: Dwelling size distribution by dwelling type and number of bedrooms, remainder of Gosford LGA (% of
dwellings in each dwelling type)

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Table 18: Dwelling size distribution by dwelling type and number of bedrooms, Gosford City Centre (% of dwellings in
each dwelling type)
Table 19: Vehicle ownership distribution by, Gosford City Centre, remainder of Gosford LGA and Gosford LGA (% of
dwellings in each area)
Table 20: Vehicle ownership distributions by dwelling type, Gosford City Centre
Table 21: Vehicle ownership distributions by dwelling type, remainder of Gosford LGA
Table 22 - Existing Parking Rates for FUA by Bedroom Numbers by LGA
Table 23 - Sydney Metropolitan Average Parking Rate per Dwelling Size by Number of Bedrooms
Table 24 - Council Parking Rates for Designated High Accessibility / Transit Areas
Table 25 - Sydney Metropolitan Average Parking Rate per Dwelling by Bedroom Numbers in High Transit / Access to
Services Area
Table 26 – Sydney Metropolitan Average Standard Rates Compared with High Transit / Access to Services Rates
Table 27 - Gosford City Centre DCP FUA Parking Requirements

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Table 28 - Lowest to Highest Average Vehicle Ownership per Dwelling
Table 29 - Sydney Metropolitan Commercial Rate Comparison
Table 30 - Sydney Metropolitan Retail DCP Rates
Table 31 – Recommended Parking Rates for Flats, Units & Apartments
Table 32 – Distribution of incremental non-residential floorspace by use
Table 33 – Calculation of additional parking requirement
Table 34 – Adjustment for different outcomes at Town Centre Shopping Centre
Table 35 – Comparison of parking demand estimates, amended & re-calibrated model and Table 34
Table 36 – Total City Centre floorspace potential by use, 2007 LEP
Table 37 – Floorspace potential by use under 2007 LEP, for Core City Centre
Table 38 – Floorspace potential by use under 2007 LEP, for Precinct 1A (GTA)
Table 39 – Existing floorspace for Precinct 1A
Table 40 – Adjustment to existing floorspace in Precinct 1A
Table 41 – Comparison of future floorspace requirement and potential floorspace in 2007 LEP
Table 42 – Distribution of incremental non-residential floorspace by use
Table 43 – Calculation of additional parking requirement
Table 44 – Adjustment for different outcomes at Town Centre Shopping Centre
Table 45 – Projected parking demand 2008 to 2021, from application of calibrated parking model
Table 46 – Projected parking demand 2008 to 2031, from application of calibrated parking model
Table 47 – Comparison of parking demand estimates, amended & re-calibrated model and Table 9

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1 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
There have been a number of studies and reports into car parking, public transport and commuter
car parks for the Gosford City Centre to date. A review of these reports has found in some
instances the suggestions and approaches are in friction. What makes the difference with this report
is that it:

 Recommends parking provision rates based on census data analysis;
 Recognises the role of parking provision can play in achieving desired mode shift targets;
 Encourages Council to have a differential rate for commercial and residential development
that car park provision seeks to encourage public transport and more utilisation of existing
public parking assets and less reliance on private parking.

Residential floorspace comprises of a major component of the envisaged future development of the
City Centre. In terms of transport this is about getting residents located in close proximity to a large
number of different activities and facilities to reduce the overall need to travel and to reduce the use
of private motor vehicles. It is this co-location of residents and activities that will be a key driver of
mode choice, rather than highly restricted parking rates. This will be self-reinforcing if the planned
additional residential population can draw retail and personal services back to the City Centre.

The objectives of this study were as follows:
“The Parking Management and Control Plan should, as it states, provide guiding principles for how parking
should be managed based on the type of precinct to which it refers i.e. The Waterfront precinct might be
dominated by restaurants and outdoor dining versus the City Core which is more shopping/retail focussed
versus the Railway Precinct which is much more commuter focussed.
The Parking Management and Control Plan would also provide contemporary parking supply rates by land
use type for each precinct which would provide key guidance for Gosford Council's town planners in assessing
future development applications for specific locations.”

The redevelopment of lands associated with both the Waterfront Precinct and the Hospital Precinct
are subject to planning and assessment by the State Government. Whilst the findings of this report
would assist in this planning of these areas in respect to parking provision, the ultimate
configuration of these areas would be subject to negotiations with the State Government.

It is the view of this report that the provision of high quality and available public transport
operations would have a much greater bearing on a person’s choice of mode than restricted
provision of on-site parking. This is not to discount the role of parking in mode choice but to
provide a comparative context to the all-too-frequently proposed influence of restricted parking
provision alone.

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On the matter of parking rates per the precincts identified in the 2007 Gosford Masterplan Study,
this report has not adopted the same five precincts to determine appropriate parking rates. The
Gosford and Hospital Precincts have been separated given their role as State significant projects
although the parking rates in this report can be used to inform the planning of these two distinct
areas.

The retail core of the Gosford City Centre has been identified as an area which is best placed to take
advantage of Council’s existing public car park assets to provide short term parking for
developments and a reduced on-site parking provision. All remaining areas of the study area have
been considered in the relationship to access to public transport versus on-site parking provision.

This report has proposed an innovative method of potentially seeking additional funding for public
transport and non-private mode infrastructure through Planning Agreements. This approach would
still provide savings to developers without compromising the need for a development to provide
further on-site parking.

These arrangements should have flexibility to allow funding of specific works which not only
provide a direct benefit to occupiers of the particular development but the public at large. This
might include new bus shelters, footpath connections to bus routes, dedication of land to provide
cycle links to existing networks. Other examples of potential works can be from the TMAP
Comprehensive Package of Transport Measures (page 64).

Alternatively, contributions towards planned higher cost infrastructure works can be incorporated
into a scheme which savings can be the suggested discretionary funding scheme. This scheme
would function separately to all other existing contribution plans currently in force with the City
Centre but would not add an additional cost burden to the developer.

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2 INTRODUCTION

This report was prepared for Gosford City Council to present findings of a Strategic Parking Study
for the Gosford City Centre which includes the Gosford Waterfront and areas in the vicinity of
Gosford Hospital. The purpose of this study is to provide Gosford City Council with guiding
principles for the management of parking within the Gosford City Centre into the future and to
review the Council’s current car parking provision rates.

The management principles and recommended parking rates which apply to future development in
this study have been based on a thorough assessment of work undertaken to date within the City
Centre and available parking infrastructure assets.

Further, the developed parking rates have endeavoured to acknowledge the role of parking
provision as a management tool to achieve desired mode share outcomes to encourage urban
development opportunities.

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3 EXISTING SITUATION

3.1 Gosford City Centre

The following is noted, in part, from the Gosford Masterplan Report 2007

“In the NSW Government’s Regional Cities strategy Gosford has been designated as the Regional City for the
Central Coast, just as Newcastle is the Hunter Regional City and Wollongong is the Illawarra Regional City.

Gosford serves the Central Coast’s current population of over 300,000 and as such, the city should encompass a wide
range of activities and uses including a full range of business, Government, retail, cultural, entertainment and
recreational activities. It should be a focal point for regional transport and jobs.”

The importance of Gosford to attract new development is considered vital for the surrounding
region and as such any policies should provide a balance with achieving desired outcomes, in this
instance transport outcomes, whilst not inhibiting future development

3.2 Study Area

The boundaries of the study area are shown in Figure 1 below.

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Figure 1 - Study Area (NTS)

The study area includes generally land holdings bounded by Racecourse Road in the west, the
Gosford Waterfront in the south, Henry Parry Drive in the east and Dwyer Street in the north. The
study area includes the Gosford Dog Racing Track.

The study area shown in Figure 1 mirrors the overall study area assessed in the Gosford City Centre
Parking Study1.

3.3 Public Parking

Gosford City Council has two main public car parks within the study area to compliment a further
commuter car park located adjacent to Gosford Railway Station. Council car parks include the
Baker Street car park and the recently purchased Gosford Town Centre Carpark. Additional public
parking, whilst attributed to both the Central Coast Leagues Club and the Imperial Shopping Centre,
are also available to visitors to the City Centre.

1 Gosford Parking Study – GTA Consultants May 2010
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The locations of these car parks (blue = Council car parks, yellow = State Rail commuter car park &
magenta = other large scale publicly accessible parking areas) are shown in Figure 2 below.

Figure 2 – Existing Main Public Car Parks

The role of these car parks to determine appropriate parking rates for all future development is
discussed further in this report. Further, Council recently commissioned an assessment of the
utilisation of both the Baker Street and Gosford Town Centre car parks. This report is reviewed in
Section 4 of this report.

It is noted from the Gosford Car Park study2 that Baker Street includes a total of 703 spaces and
the Gosford City Centre carpark includes a total of 583 spaces. This report is discussed further in
Section 4.13 of this report.

2 Gosford Car Parks Review Final Report – Cardno July 2011
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4 BACKGROUND REPORT REVIEW
A summary of the reports undertaken to date, in particular comments and recommendations on
parking matters, as provided in the original brief for the project are summarised below. This review
has endeavoured to provide a summary of current policies in chronological order of adoption.

4.1 Development Control Plan No.111 – Car Park Amendment No.1 – November 2000
As stated above the Gosford City Plan provides parking rates (excluding commercial and retail uses)
for the Gosford City Centre main zones. However, this DCP also refers to ‘Gosford’ for the
purpose of estimating parking rates for a particular development.

It should be noted that the Gosford City Centre DCP provides no information on parking
provisions for ‘change of use’ nor contributions which may arise from negotiations with developers
where a reduced parking provision is provided for a particular development.

Therefore DCP No.111 does apply to new developments within the Gosford City Centre. On the
matter of change of use, the following is noted from DCP No.111:

2.4 Change of Use
2.4.1 Where the use of an existing building is to be changed, the Council will require that additional car
parking (if any) be provided on the basis of the difference between the requirements for the existing use and
the proposed use.

2.4.2 Notwithstanding subclause 2.4.1 nothing in this plan shall be applied to require that additional
parking is required for the conversion of existing commercial floor space to either retail or restaurant land use
in the Gosford town Centre. This saving provision only applies to the Gosford Town Centre because of the
Gosford Parking Loan Rate which applies to this area.

The following clause permits a change of use development, which may require more parking than
the existing development, the allowance of providing no additional parking on site as the Gosford
Parking Loan Rate applies in the Gosford City Centre zone.

The Gosford Parking Loan Rate3 refers to the following:

Gosford Parking Special Rate
Council is of the opinion that the funding from this rate of the operation and maintenance of the Baker Street
Parking Station would be of special benefit to that portion of the area referred to in Registered Plan 97/6 a
copy of which is shown as Attachment J and accordingly resolves to make and levy a Special Rate of
0.00110231 in the dollar calculated on the land value of all rateable land within that portion of the area
identified as per Attachment I.

3 Setting of Rates and Charges for 2010/2011 (IR 7937934)
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Thus a 0.1% levy applies to all annual rates of all development with the Gosford City Centre to
operate and maintain the Baker Street car park. No provision is made to provide any additional
public parking nor is any provision to operate or maintain the recently acquired Gosford City Centre
car park.

Parking Loan Boundaries
The area at which the Gosford Loan applies was plotted on the draft 2009 LEP zoning map. This is
shown below in Figure 3.

Figure 3 - Gosford Parking Loan Boundaries

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It was noted that the boundaries of lands where the Gosford Parking Loan can be applied do not
match boundaries of existing nor proposed zones in the 2009 LEP. It is unclear and unknown why
some components of the Central Core zone and surrounding business zones were excluded.

Parking rates for key land uses, namely commercial and retail, are specified in the DCP. However,
these are different to the LEP 2007 rates for the City Centre and as such are superseded by the LEP
rates. The rates for other land uses set out in the DCP, such as industrial, hospital and education,
are applicable for the City Centre and have been used for the purposes of this report.

It is noted that the draft Development Control Plan (DCP 2009) was on exhibition during the time
this report was finalised but has not been reviewed as part of this project.

4.2 Connecting the Central Coast – The Central Coast Transport Action Plan RTA and
Transport NSW, August 2002
The Central Coast Transport Action Plan builds on the Action for Transport 2010 document that
was released in 1998. The plan includes all modes and projects which are proposed to be delivered
in two broad timeframes – by the end of 2004 and post 2005. Projects are listed under the following
key categories:
 rail travel
 buses
 park and ride
 ferries
 cycling
 local transport initiatives
 roads.

The plan does not contain any projects that will specifically impact the provision of car parking
within the GCC. However, measures for improvements to the sustainable transport networks
servicing the GCC area are proposed including local transport initiatives to encourage the use of
these alternative modes.

4.3 Gosford City Centre LEP Review – Transport and Traffic Final Report - Scott Wilson
Nairn and Cardno MBK, June 2004
Scott Wilson Nairn and Cardno MBK were commissioned by Gosford City Council to investigate
the transportation impacts of the proposed Local Environmental Plan (LEP) changes. This included
a review of parking policy. The report included current and forecast floor space within the study
area for retail, commercial and residential uses for the years 2001, 2011 and 2021.

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On the matter of residential parking provision, the report suggested the 400m radius applied to the
Council parking rates (lower parking provision) was too constrained and should be increased to
600m. It is unclear whether the report took topography into account which is a major barrier to
pedestrian movements in Gosford. The report recommended the following parking provision for
residential development within 600m of the railway station:

Table 1 - Scott Wilson / Cardno LEP Traffic Report Recommended Parking Rates for Residential <600m from
Units & Townhouses within 600m of railway station Minimum Maximum
1 bedroom & studio / bedsitters 0.5 / unit 1.0 / unit
2 bedroom 1.0 / unit 1.5 / unit
3 bedroom 1.0 / unit 2.0 / unit

It was also recommended that in the event a developer proposes parking provision greater than the
minimum rates, the developer should make contributions to a Transport Improvement Fund. In
addition, all residential parking should be provided on‐site and the on‐street car parking demand
should be monitored with on‐street restrictions being implemented if required.

On the matter of parking for commercial uses, the report noted the DCP provision of 1 per 45sqm
of commercial floorspace was a generous parking rate and recommended the following:

 Reduce the maximum parking rate and introduce a minimum rate (it is noted that this has
since been adopted).
 Maintain the 2:1 ratio between on‐site and off‐site parking requirements, however ensure
that contributions be provided to Council for the off‐site parking component.
 Review the price of parking in Council car parks, with a view to eliminating the charge for
less than three hours, increasing the cost of parking stays greater than five hours and
eliminating all ‘early bird parking’.
 Introduce timed parking in the Gosford central area.

It is noted that early bird parking has not been removed from Council car parking areas. It is also
noted the report adopted the 2:1 provision of parking on site / off site (by way of contribution) but
did not have any information as to where the contributions would be spent.

For a commercial development within 600m of the Gosford Railway Station, the report
recommended the following:

Table 2 - Scott Wilson / Cardno LEP Traffic Report Recommended Parking Rates for Commercial <600m
from Gosford Railway Station
Office / Commercial < 600m Minimum Maximum Off Site Contribution
from Gosford Rail Station
Office / Commercial 1 space / 100sqm GFA 1 space / 50sqm GFA 33%
Visitor Parking 10% of spaces 10% of space

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Further, the report recommended increasing short term parking available through the removal of
charges for the first three hours of parking in Council carparks.

In addition, paid on‐street parking was recommended to be introduced to encourage turn over, with
details to be determined following duration of stay parking surveys. With regards to mixed use
developments, parking should be provided at the same rates as other developments, with some level
of negotiation available.

The report also recommended that no further free commuter parking be provided to service the
station, with alternative measures used to control the number of vehicles parking in the station area.

4.4 Gosford Vision 2025 – A Strategic Direction for the Future Gosford City Council,
2006
The Gosford Vision 2025 outlines the strategic directions for the Gosford Local Government Area
to 2025. The Vision was developed through extensive public consultation and was based on
residents’ values. Nine key focus areas were established including transportation and infrastructure
strategies. Parking provisions and / or parking issues are not discussed in this document.

4.5 Gosford City Centre Plan – Development Control Plan Section 4 – Access, Parking
and Servicing -2007
This DCP includes the parking rate requirements for all developments in the Gosford City Centre
within the Commercial Core and City Edge Zones except commercial and retail uses. These are
covered in the GCC Local Environment Plan 2007.

The key objectives of the DCP are to:

 Facilitate an appropriate level of on‐site parking provision in the GCC to cater for a mix of
development types.
 Enable the conversion of above ground parking to other future uses.
 Recognise the complementary use and benefit of public transport and non-motorised modes
of transport.

The DCP requires that:
 Car parking is provided underground where possible.
 Car parking supply and internal manoeuvring areas beyond that required by the DCP and
the GCC LEP is to be calculated towards gross floor area.
 A minimum of 4% of the required parking spaces, or minimum of 2 spaces per
development, be provided for persons with disabilities.

The following is also noted from this DCP:

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“In addition to the provisions of this DCP the provisions of the following controls also apply the Gosford City Centre
area to the extent that the land use is for the purpose specified, or the development of the land involves the matter
specified.

Where the provisions of the following DCPs conflict with those of this DCP, the provisions of the Gosford City Centre
DCP 2007 shall prevail.”

Thus DCP 111 would apply where the Gosford City Centre DCP was silent and these items would
include say ‘change of use’.

The following parking rates are recommended were recommended by the TMAP report:
Table 3 - TMAP Recommended Parking Rates
Land Use Required Parking Requirement
RESIDENTIAL
Single Dwelling House Car parking:1 space/dwelling
Dual Occupancy Dwelling Dwellings less than 125m2 – 1 space/dwelling
Dwellings greater than 125m2 – 2 space/dwelling
Shop Top Housing 1 car Space/dwelling
Townhouses, Residential Flat 1 Bedroom dwelling – 1 car space/dwelling
Buildings 2 Bedroom dwelling – 1.2 car spaces/dwelling
3 or more bedroom dwellings – 1.5 car spaces/dwelling
Visitor car parking:
0.2 spaces/dwelling, provided on site and clearly marked for use by visitors only
Disability accessible car parking:
Not less than 10% of the required resident and visitor spaces
Motorcycle parking:
1 space /15 dwellings (or part thereof)
Bicycle parking:
1 resident’s space/3 dwellings + 1 visitor space/12 dwellings (or part thereof)
Housing for seniors and persons with The provisions as contained in State Environmental Planning Policy No 5 being: Self-
disability contained dwellings (private) – not less than 0.5 spaces/dwelling
Self-contained dwellings (State) – not less than 1 space/5 dwellings (where application is
made by the Crown, a public authority or another person jointly with the Government
or a public authority)
Aged Care Hostels, Nursing Homes, Car parking:
Convalescent Homes Not less than 1 space per 10 beds,
Not less than 1 space per 2 employees,
Not less than 1 parking space suitable for an ambulance
Motorcycle parking:
1 space/ 25 car spaces or part thereof
TOURISM
Hotel Accommodation, Motel Units, 1 space per accommodation unit, plus 1 space for every 2 persons employed in
Tourist Units connection with the development and on duty at any one time. Restaurants, function
(inc serviced apartments not strata rooms etc associated with the development and open to the general public require
additional parking at the rate for that use (See Part C)
titled)
Motorcycle parking:
Boarding House 1.5 spaces for every two (2) bedroom or part thereof, plus one (1) space for any
residential manager, plus one (1) space for each two (2) employees
Motorcycle parking:

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Youth Hostel, Backpacker Hostel 1 space for each 5 occupants/lodgers plus 1 space for any resident manager, plus
1 space for each 2 Employees
Motorcycle parking:
(Applies to uses where the accommodation is directed to travellers, a majority of whom
do not use private motor vehicles)
RECREATION
Licensed Hotel, Tavern /Club 1 space/4m2 of bar area, plus
1 space/6m2 of lounge, beer garden, gambling area, plus
1 space/10 seats or 20m2 area of auditorium, plus
1 space/resident manager, plus 1 space per 2 employees
NOTE: Restaurants and dining rooms require additional parking at the rate for that use
in that locality/zone. Accommodation where provided shall require parking at the
appropriate rate under part B.
Motorcycle parking:
Squash Courts / Tennis Courts 3 spaces/ court or lane
/Bowling Alley Motorcycle parking:
Bicycle parking:
2 spaces/ court or lane
Bowling Green 30 spaces for first green and 15 spaces for each additional green.
Motorcycle parking:
1 space/ 25 car spaces or part thereof.
Recreation Facility 1 space/25m2 gross floor area
Motorcycle parking:
Bicycle parking:
1 space/ 200m2 gross floor area
Restaurants 1 space/30m2 gross floor area
Motorcycle parking:
Bicycle parking:
1 space/ 200m2 gross floor area
COMMERCIAL & RETAIL
Commercial Premises (including Commercial Core and City Edge zones – in accordance with the Gosford City Centre
Offices) Local Environment Plan 2007
Other land use zones – 1 space/40m2 GFA Motorcycle parking:
Bicycle parking:
1 space/200m2 gross floor area per employee
1 space/750m2 gross floor are for visitors
Professional Consulting Rooms, 3 spaces/ surgery or consulting room, plus
Medical Practices 1 space for each professional practitioner and other staff present at any one time
Motorcycle parking:
Bicycle parking:
1 space/ 4 consulting rooms
Service Stations Minimum 4 spaces plus 6 spaces/service bay
NOTE: Convenience stores and restaurants attached to a service station require
additional parking calculated at the respective rates designated for those uses.

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Motor Showrooms 1.5 spaces/200m2 site plus
6 spaces/service bay or 1 space/2 persons employed in connection with the use
Motorcycle parking:
1 space/25car spaces or part thereof
Drive-In Take Away Food Outlet 1 space/8m2 gross floor area plus,
1 space/5 seats with a minimum of 30 spaces
Motorcycle parking:
1 space/ 25car spaces or part thereof
NOTE: Refers to a free-standing establishment not one within a shopping centre
Drive-In Liquor Outlet 2 spaces plus 1 space per person employed in connection with the use and on duty at
any one time
NOTE: These spaces to be exclusive of the driveway area used for queuing and service
to customers in their vehicle.
Furniture and Building Materials 1 space/45m2 gross floor area.
Showroom
Shops In the City Core and City Edge zones – in accordance with the Gosford City Centre
Local Environment Plan 2007
All other zones – space per 30m2 GFA
Motorcycle parking:
1 space/25 car spaces or part thereof
Bicycle parking:
Retail Markets 1 space/18m2
Motorcycle parking:
Bicycle parking:
1 space/ 750m2 for employees
1 space/ 1000m2 for shoppers
NOTE: This provision does not apply to approved markets operated by a community
organisation for charitable purposes.
Plant Nursery 1 space per 30m2 gross floor area of any building used for the retailing of plants and
associated products, plus 1 space per 45m2 for outdoor areas used for display purposes
associated with retail sales, plus 1 space per 200m2 for areas used exclusively for
propagation or storage, whether indoor or outdoor.
INDUSTRIAL
General light industry 1 space/100m2, but otherwise not less than;
2.5 spaces for factory units up to 200m2, or
3.5 spaces for factory units exceeding 200m2
Motorcycle parking:
Warehouses and high tech business 1 space/300m2 for warehouse/bulk stores
1 space/40m2 for ancillary office space
1 space/30m2 for ancillary retail space
Motorcycle parking:
NOTE: The need for additional car parking for future change of use from a warehouse
bulk store should be considered.
Car Repair Stations, Panel Beaters, 1 space/40m2
Spray Painters Motorcycle parking:
COMMUNITY FACILITIES

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Place of Worship and Place of Assembly 1 space/20m2 gross floor area, or
(not elsewhere mentioned) 1 space/10seats, whichever is the greater
Motorcycle parking:
1 space/25car spaces or part thereof
Bicycle parking:
1 space/50seats
Child Minding Centre /Kindergarten / 1 space per person employed in connection with the use, plus a temporary stand area at
Pre-School the rate of 1 car for each 6 children (a minimum of 5 temporary stand spaces)
Motorcycle parking:
NOTE: The temporary standing area is to be designed so that vehicles can enter or
leave the site moving in a forward direction and without conflicting with other
traffic/parking movements.
Hospital 1 space per 3 beds and 1 space per 3 employees
Motorcycle parking:
Schools, Educational Establishments 1 space per 2 staff place 1 space per 30 students
Motorcycle parking:
Bicycle parking:
1 space/ 5 students above Grade 4
NOTE: The parking requirement for each school site may vary. Refer to the Transport
Advisory Unit Manager for detailed assessment.
OTHER USES Were not specified, the Roads and Traffic Authority guidelines will be applied to
developments of a minor nature including extensions etc, however for a major proposal
the application is to be supported by a Traffic Impact Statement with recommendation
as to the appropriate provision for on-site car, motorbike and bicycle parking.

From Table 3 it is noted that many of the rates recommended in the TMAP by use are similar to
the rates published in the RTA Guide to Traffic Generating Developments and are considered
reasonable. The expected main proportion of future development within the study area are
summarised in Table 4 below.

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Table 4 - TMAP Recommended Residential, Commercial & Retail Parking Rates
RESIDENTIAL
Dual Occupancy Dwelling Dwellings less than 125m2 – 1 space/dwelling
Dwellings greater than 125m2 – 2 space/dwelling
Shop Top Housing 1 car Space/dwelling
Townhouses, Residential Flat Buildings 1 Bedroom dwelling – 1 car space/dwelling
2 Bedroom dwelling – 1.2 car spaces/dwelling
3 or more bedroom dwellings – 1.5 car spaces/dwelling
Visitor car parking:
0.2 spaces/dwelling, provided on site and clearly marked for use
by visitors only
Disability accessible car parking:
Not less than 10% of the required resident and visitor spaces
Motorcycle parking:
1 space /15 dwellings (or part thereof)
Bicycle parking:
1 resident’s space/3 dwellings + 1 visitor space/12 dwellings (or
part thereof)
Commercial Premises (including Offices) Commercial Core and City Edge zones – in accordance with the
Gosford City Centre Local Environment Plan 2007
Other land use zones – 1 space/40m2 GFA Motorcycle parking:
Bicycle parking:
Shops In the City Core and City Edge zones – in accordance with the
Gosford City Centre Local Environment Plan 2007
All other zones – space per 30m2 GFA
Motorcycle parking:
1 space/25 car spaces or part thereof
Bicycle parking:

The above rates are further considered in the comparison assessment in Section 8 of this report.

4.6 Gosford City Centre Local Environmental Plan 2007
In relation to car parking, the Gosford LEP outlines the car parking requirements for new
developments for the purposes of commercial or retail activities, namely:

 At least one car parking space is provided for every 75 square metres of the gross floor
area of the building that is to be used for commercial activities.
 At least one car parking space is provided for every 40 square metres of the gross floor
area of the building that is to be used for the purposes of retail premises.

The LEP states that car parking associated with the above requirements is to be provided on‐site
unless the consent authority is satisfied that the provision of car parking is adequately provided
elsewhere.

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The following within the study area were noted from the GTA report:
Figure 4 - Existing Uses with Study Area (GTA 2009)

It is noted that the draft Gosford Local Environmental Plan 2009 (DLEP 2009) was on exhibition
during the time this report was finalised but has not been reviewed as part of this project.
It is also noted that in comparison, the LEP requires some 45% less parking for commercial uses
and 25% less parking for retail uses.

4.7 Gosford City Centre Vision Plan New South Wales Department of Planning, 2007
This document formed a key element of the analysis undertaken by GTA and included a strategic
framework for the GCC to facilitate the anticipated growth of an additional 6,000 jobs and 10,000
people over the next 25 years.
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The study predicted in the future the on‐street parking will extend further into the residential area
west of the railway line. This could be managed through the following:

 Providing additional short term off‐street parking for new development.
 Locating more residential and mixed use developments in the GCC.
 Managing the turn‐over of on‐street parking and introducing paid on‐street parking.
 Encouraging the use of sustainable modes of transport.
 Intensifying development within walking distance of major public transport facilities.

4.8 Central Coast Regional Strategy NSW Government Department of Planning, 2008
The Central Coast Regional Strategy set capacity targets for new dwellings and employment
numbers over 25 years to 2031. This included a dwelling target of 6,000 for the City of Gosford. In
addition, employment within the Gosford LGA is predicted to increase by 18,000 jobs of which
6,000 were identified for the Gosford City Centre.

4.9 The Gosford Challenge – Masterplan for the Renewal of Gosford City Centre–2010
The Gosford Challenge project purpose was to develop achieving development planning outcomes
for Gosford having regard to a number of previous strategies and documents undertaken to date.
The study largely supports and affirms the existing planning regulatory framework (Gosford City
Centre LEP 2007).

In relation to parking, the Masterplan was prepared in conjunction with the TMAP. The Masterplan
states that the long term goal under the NSW State Plan is to reduce the demand for parking and
better manage existing parking infrastructure.

It was identified that the principal method for reduction of parking demand would be via an
improved public transport system and alternate methods of access to the city. In the immediate
future it was proposed that alternate parking sites can be identified as opportunities arise to provide
additional parking within private and/or public projects. This statement is also reflected by GTA
Consultants in the Gosford Parking Study.

On the matter of parking, the following is noted from the masterplan:
“The provision of adequate parking within the City Centre has long been a contentious issue. There is an
inherent conflict between the requirements for long term parking for commuters and workers and short term
parking for retail and commercial activities.

The Gosford City Council recently commissioned a Parking Study which will be utilised in conjunction with
the TMAP to identify needs and solutions to parking.

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The long term goal under the NSW State Plan is to reduce the demand for parking and better manage
existing parking infrastructure. The principal method for reduction of parking demand will be via an
improved public transport system and alternate methods of access to the city.

In the immediate future it is proposed that additional public parking sites be identified and opportunities will
arise to provide additional parking within private and/or public projects.”

Further, the masterplan included a short term strategy recommendation to develop a short, medium
and long term parking strategy for Gosford City Centre. The identified areas in the masterplan for
additional parking provision are shown in

Figure 5 - Masterplan Identified Additional Parking Areas

4.10 Gosford Masterplan Precincts
As per the suggestions of the Gosford Masterplan Report4, the study area was identified with five (5)
main precincts. These include the following:

4 The Gosford Challenge, Gosford City Centre Masterplan
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1. The Waterfront;
2. The Arts & Entertainment Precinct;
3. The City Core;
4. The Railway Precinct; and
5. The Hospital Precinct

The suggested precincts are shown in Figure 6 below.

Figure 6 – Gosford Masterplan Precincts

A consideration of this study was whether parking rates should be applied at a precinct level to
reflect the character of each precinct, whether a blanket approach was appropriate or a hybrid of the
two. This is discussed further in this report.

Plans showing the finer grain boundaries of the above precincts are presented from the masterplan
report in Figures Figure 7 to Figure 11 below:

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Figure 7 - The Waterfront Precinct

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Figure 8 – The Arts & Entertainment Precinct

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Figure 9 - The City Core Precinct

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Figure 10 - The Railway Precinct

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Figure 11 - The Hospital Precinct

4.11 Revitalising Gosford City Centre Plan, Civic Improvement Plan NSW Government
Department of Planning, 2007
The Civic Improvement Plan provides both the contribution framework and recommended works
to that which collected contributions should be spent. The document includes design principles for
paving, parks, signage, lighting and the improvement of key public places.

Currently the contribution is 4% of the total cost of the development but none of these monies are
to spent on the provision of additional parking within the Gosford Town Centre. Further, it is
noted that a recent resolution of Council was to reduce this rate from 4% to 1% to stimulate
development as noted in the Council resolution below.

“At its meeting on 22nd February 2011 Gosford City Council resolved to adopt a number of measures to provide
economic development incentives to encourage the early redevelopment of the Gosford City Centre, including:
 deletion of clause 22B (4) – (9) of Gosford City in relation to design excellence;
 an increase of 30% to the maximum height and floor space ratio development standards of Gosford City
Centre Local Environmental Plan 2007, subject to the development application being lodged within 24
months of the making of the required amending plan;

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 amendment to the Gosford Civic Improvement Plan (CIP) to permit a 1% CIP contribution for any existing
operable development consent which has not yet received a Construction Certificate and for any development
applications lodged from the 22nd February 2011 and within 24 months of the making of the above
amending LEP, after which time the CIP contribution reverts to 4%. The payment of the 1% CIP
contribution is payable in the above cases prior to the issue of an Occupation Certificate; and
 Council pursue with the Department of Planning that the ‘Plan First Fee’ be refunded for those applications
lodged and commenced within the next 24 months and for which an Occupation Certificate is issued with 5
years.”

However, we understand Council has limited authority to change the State Government imposed
rate. Further, this report has not assessed the parking impacts and needs of a 30% increase in
maximum height and FSR in the centre city which may occur in the next 24 month period from the
date of the resolution of Council.

The Civic Improvement Plan identifies the need for additional short term off‐street parking spaces
in association with new retail and commercial developments. The Plan notes that the preferred site
for the construction of a public car park is on Council land adjacent to the Gosford City Council
Chambers and at the rear of the potential Regional Library site. This site would be able to
accommodate a 200‐space, four‐level car park for public use.

A further initiative for the GCC included in this document is the introduction of a shuttle bus. This
bus route would service the GCC and its surrounds, linking the commercial core with such areas as
the railway station, waterfront and bushland reserves. This initiative would be subject to the results
of a feasibility study.

4.12 Gosford City Centre – Transport Management & Accessibility Plan (TMAP)
This report, prepared by AECOM included a review of a number of previous reports including the
parking report prepared by GTA and the LEP Traffic Report prepared by Scott Wilson / Cardno.
The key findings / recommendations of this report are extracted verbatim below:

 The TMAP supported the renewal process in Gosford with measures to encourage
sustainable growth. It addresses existing transport challenges such as access across the
railway line, illegible and poor quality pedestrian facilities, severance of the waterfront, a
developing cycle network and end-of trip facilities, and managing parking supply.
 The objectives to better manage city centre parking, move away from long term to short
term parking to support retail and commercial activities as well as supporting shifts to public
transport, walking and cycling where ever possible.

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 Parking management is a key initiative which is fundamental to balance the attractiveness of
car travel to Gosford to meet wider objectives. The role of parking should be to enable
access to shops and services whilst limiting long term, commuter parking and where feasible,
provide park and ride on the city fringe in locations such as Erina and Kariong. Management
of long term parking needs to be accompanied by suitable alternative access measures, such
as key bus corridors and park and ride.
 Development of a parking policy that will encourage increased public transport mode share,
without compromising renewal ambitions.

Potential Park and Ride Locations – East Gosford and Kariong Interchange
 The potential exists to provide park and ride facilities outside Gosford City Centre, to reduce
car trips into the central area with external parking sites and high frequency bus corridors.
 Two locations that have potential for park and ride facilities are East of Gosford (either East
Gosford OR east of Gosford) near Erina and to the West, at Kariong. A location near to
Erina would be able to capture trips which originate to the east of Gosford City Centre from
destinations such as The Entrance, Long Jetty, Bateau Bay, Terrigal and Avoca. Erina is
situated on an established bus corridor, which has the catchment and demand to support a
higher frequency bus service. An investigation into the proposal would need to consider the
potential impacts on bus viability and congestion.
 Kariong would also be a suitable location for increased bus frequency and a park and ride
station to serve trips from the West and inbound into Gosford City Centre from the F3
Freeway corridor. Increased travel demand is also expected into Kariong as a growing
employment area, therefore a park and ride site here would not only serve inbound trips to
Gosford City Centre but also reverse trips originating or linking through Gosford City
Centre with a Kariong as a destination.
 The investigation of a Kariong park and ride station for Gosford should also consider the
potential to capture demand for car share trips which originate in Gosford and have onward
destinations further afield such as Sydney, Newcastle and the Lower Hunter via the F3
Freeway and Pacific Highway. Bus services could facilitate trips out to Kariong from
Gosford, whilst a park and ride station provides a safe, convenient location for interchange
and parking close to the Freeway.
 Bus priority measures are important to park and ride operations, as with quality or strategic
bus corridors in order to provide a reliable, consistent link between origin and destination
and to provide a time benefit to bus trips over car trips. There would also need to be greater
parking control, in Gosford to encourage people to use park and ride servicing the city
centre. Park and ride schemes have tended to use a dedicated branded bus fleet to raise
awareness of the system and have a marketing and branding campaign to make car drivers
aware of the service.
 To support bus measures, parking restrictions and constraints such as time restrictions, tariff
changes and other supply and demand management measures need to be implemented.

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It is noted that the recommended locations for Park and Ride and the provision of additional
parking differ from those suggested in the masterplan report. Ultimately, the strategy of both
documents to provide periphery parking is consistent.

Commuter Parking at Rail Stations
 Whilst the focus of the report is on commuter trips into Gosford, the role of commuter car
parking at upstream stations has not been discounted. Whilst primarily these car parks,
developed under the commuter car parks program, provide for commuting to the higher
order centres of Newcastle and Sydney, there is a linked benefit for Gosford as they provide
a potential alternative for commuters driving to Gosford as they have an alternative option
to drive to a local station and use rail for onward journeys into Gosford.

Future of Parking in Gosford
 Gosford City Centre and the surrounding areas are forecast to accommodate significant
additional population and employment growth over the next 20 years. These changes will
necessitate changes in the planning controls for Gosford which will determine the pricing,
regulation and availability of parking in Gosford.
 Gosford City Council manages parking in Gosford, with the current primary planning tool
being the Development Control Plan No.111 Car Parking (Amendment 1) dated November
2000. The purpose of this document is to ensure sufficient, well designed parking is
provided by all new developments and to manage existing parking within the Gosford City
Council area.
 In central Gosford there are approximately 10,500 parking spaces, including over 7,000 off-
street parking spaces.
 The vast majority of parking in Gosford City Centre is available for long stay parking, with
almost 90% of parking supply available for long stay use or unrestricted in the case of on-
street supply.

Changes to Parking Policy
 Maximum or threshold parking provision for Gosford will have little effect as a travel
demand management tool to manage traffic flow and achieve modal shift. It is moreover the
amount of long term parking supply which impacts on vehicular demand in the peak
periods, as travel associated with these spaces tends to be concentrated in the morning and
evening peaks. Such commuter or long term parking also impacts on the streetscape and
available land for development, as having a significant number of stationary vehicles in the
city centre takes up valuable space for development and creates a visual eyesore.
 Focus for Gosford should be on provision of adequate short-term parking to maintain and
enhance the economic and cultural attractiveness of Gosford City Centre.
 Long term planning policy should focus on encouraging a modal shift away from long term
commuter parking by providing suitable public transport alternatives, transferring long
term parking capacity to short term and relocating long-term parking to the
periphery, possibly in conjunction with park and ride provision.
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 Gosford City Council should consider reviewing their Development Control Policy
for parking for new developments. If present rates for residential and commercial
development were retained, Gosford City Centre would require significant additional parking
provision over time which would increase road network congestion.

Gosford Parking Strategy
 The Gosford Parking Study (GTA, 2010) reported both long and short term parking
demand to be at approximately 85% of available supply throughout the city centre.
 The key principles of a successful parking regime are highlighted which consider in the
design of measures providing the right balance of supply to demand for various trip types,
land uses and user groups:
o to provide short term parking on-street or within public parking stations
conveniently accessible to key drivers of short term demand in the city centre to
provide accessibility to shops and services and facilitate short stay trips which
support the local economy; and
o to provide long term parking within parking stations located on the periphery of the
central area, to minimise traffic intrusion and circulation, and assist in the creation of
a pedestrian and cycle friendly environment and to enhance the urban design quality
of the city centre.

Suggested Improvement Measures
 promoting walking and cycling for city centre trips and opening up or enhancing routes for
pedestrians and cyclists; employer subsidised staff travel tickets for public transport; green
travel plans for new development in Gosford to reduce the environmental impact of travel
and the dominance of single occupancy car trips;
 Transport Management Associations (TMA’s) to provide a structured framework for local
area TDM programs. These recommendations align with the travel demand management
initiatives in this TMAP.
 GCC shuttle bus – Provision of a shuttle bus serving key developments and fringe areas of
long-stay parking around Gosford to help reduce the dominance of the private car; this
could be in conjunction with the adoption of a free transit zone in the city centre. The
analysis of city centre travel indicates that route buses, walking and cycling would be
preferred travel modes for trips within the city centre, although a more sophisticated park
and ride system may use shuttle buses.
 Parking Restrictions – to encourage turnover, especially in prime city centre locations, in
close proximity to shops and services; to discourage staff parking in areas set aside for
customer parking; to discourage long term parking by staff and employees in the city centre;
to promote consistent access and a consistent approach to parking management to enhance
user expectations and maximise operational efficiency.

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 Enforcement of Parking Restrictions – Enforcement is critical to the function of parking
restrictions to ensure that operations on the ground adhere to policy and planning
requirements. Paid parking could be introduced to encourage turnover, which would help to
provide natural enforcement of supply, act as a demand management tool and to fund
operational enforcement.
 Pricing of parking – Parking pricing is significantly lower than other centres in NSW, such
as Newcastle and Wollongong, although these locations are different in many respects the
price of parking needs to emphasise the order of spaces and the price of convenience.
Increasing the cost of parking, especially long term parking, should be utilised as a tool to
encourage modal shift in workers in Gosford City Centre.
 Future Demands – The future demands in Gosford will be determined by (i) the extent to
which new development comes on line (additional floor space) (ii) changes to existing land
use and (iii) changes in the way people travel and the mode share for journeys to Gosford
City Centre. A major change in (i) of the order anticipated in both the Central Coast regional
strategy and the Gosford masterplan, would have the most significant impact on future
parking demand and supply.

Parking Package of Measures
 To achieve a significant modal shift from car travel to public transport travel for work
related trips into Gosford a change in parking management is needed.
 This will need to be implemented in conjunction with accessibility improvements for public
transport, pedestrian and cycle travel to provide viable alternatives and will need to be
implemented over time to maintain and enhance the viability and vitality of Gosford City
Centre.
 A re-distribution of long-term parking, moving long term parking to the city fringe and
possibly implementing park and ride, and freeing up short term parking capacity in the city
centre are key tenets of this strategy.
 At present the needs of Gosford’s residents, business, workers and tourists are well served
by the availability of a large amount of accessible, cheap parking, in off-street parking
stations and on-street. In future, in line with proposed population and employment growth,
pressure on parking will increase, with a less favourable balance of supply to demand.
Current demand levels for long term parking are clearly unsustainable.
 The focus for parking should be to facilitate growth and local economic prosperity but with
the aim of a redistribution of trips (especially commuter and long term trips to the city
centre) towards public transport, cycling and walking.
 The overall objective for parking is therefore to achieve a better balance between supply and
demand to emphasise the role of parking as a measure to support an integrated, balanced
transport system in Gosford, reducing the dominance of car travel, especially for long stay
trips into the city centre. This will need to be achieved through two mechanisms:
o Firstly, by strengthening the role of planning policy (DCP) on parking provision for
new developments;

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o Secondly, through more efficient management of existing parking supply.
 Parking rates for new development should ensure parking restraint can be used as a demand
management measure, to support travel by alternatives modes and to restrain growth in car
travel. This needs to be used in conjunction with efficient management of existing off-street
and on-street parking through pricing and time restrictions to support short stay parking
demand and seek to reduce, over time, the availability of long stay parking in the city centre.
 The aim of these parking restraint and parking management measures is to promote the
viability of alternative modes (public transport, walking and cycling), ensure efficient supply
of short stay parking in the city centre to support the local economy and enhance the local
environment. Improving the future viability of accessibility by alternative modes should be
achieved by managing future development to ensure this promotes facilities for non-
vehicular access alongside reduced parking.
 It is therefore recommended that the Gosford DCP 111 Parking is reviewed within the short
term to revise the parking standards for new development, to the rates stated in Table 8.1.

The above rates for commercial and retail uses equate to 1 space / 80sqm and 1 space / 50sqm
respectively (calibrated).

 The recommended package of parking measures for Gosford is summarised in Table 8.2,
below. All measures are grouped into short term (to 2016), medium term (to 2021) and long
term (to 2036) timescales for implementation, in line with the suggested target
implementation dates, as shown in the table below.

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In summary, the TMAP noted the high proportion of long term parking within the Gosford City
Centre. The TMAP recommended:

1. Removal of the long term parking (including commuters parking) from Gosford and
relocation to park and ride facilities on the periphery of the city;
2. Improvements to the bus network to provide access to / from the park and ride facilities;
and
3. Reduction in parking rates to assist in achieving a mode shift away from private vehicle use;

4.13 Gosford Car Parks Review – Cardno July 2011
Cardno commissioned Skyhigh Traffic Survey Company to carry out a parking demand survey for
Baker Street car park and Gosford Town Centre car park on Tuesday 7th June 2011 between
6:00am and 8.00pm. The main findings of the survey are summarised verbatim below:

Baker Street Car Park (BSCP)
Car park on Baker Street is a multi-storey car park that currently provides a total of 705 spaces. The
allocation of spaces is summarised in Table 5.
Table 5 - Baker Street Parking Allocation & Capacities
Location Restrictions Capacity
Ground Level 3P Pay & Display 36
Level 1 Reserved Parking 79
Level 1 Unreserved Public Paid Parking 30
Level 2 Unreserved Public Paid Parking 138
Level 3 Workcover Employees Parking 141
Level 4 Early Bird & Reserved Parking 141
Level 5 Early Bird & Reserved Parking 140
Combined 705

There are 36 spaces at the ground level which have 3 hour Pay & Display restrictions imposed along
with 70 long term spaces for Gosford City Council (GCC) staff car park distributed among levels 4
and 5.

Survey data demonstrated that with peak occupancy of 514 spaces (73%), the average peak demand
period for the entire car park was at 10.30am. Survey data also noted that the average length of stay
at the 36 spaces allocated for 3P “Pay & Display” was approximately 1.5 hours and had an
occupancy of 75% at its peak demand period at 10am. The rest of the multi-storey car parks are
generally used as long term parking with the average length of stay of around 7 hours.

Level 4 (Early Bird and Reserved Parking) was noted to be the most utilised level in the multi-storey
car park with 93% occupied at its peak. It was closely followed by Level 1, 2 and 3 with peak
occupancies of 87%, 84% and 75% respectively. Level 5 (Early Bird and Reserved Parking) was
noted to be the most underutilised level with 49% occupancy at its peak.

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Gosford Town Centre Car Park (GTCCP)
The Gosford Town Centre car park has a capacity of 583 unrestricted parking spaces over 2 levels
of parking. These two levels are made up on an undercover parking level and a roof top parking
level.

The survey demonstrated that the undercover parking level was close to full utilisation with an
occupancy rate of more than 90% between 9.00am – 2.30pm. However, the rooftop level had an
occupancy rate between 50 and 60% for the same period of time. The survey further noted that the
car park generally caters for long term usage with an average length of stay of approximately 7
hours.

Assessment and Recommendations
The report assessed the impacts and merits of the following:
- Implementation 2P free parking at Barker Street Car Park,
- Relocation of the 70 GCC’s staff parking spaces from BSCP to GTCCP and
- Improvements to better utilise the car parks.

Assessment findings and recommendations:
 Barker Street Car Park (BSCP) is currently noted to be underutilised and has sufficient spare
capacity to provide for more casual parking spaces to address the 2 hour free parking
proposal. The report recommended provision of 2P free parking at BSCP and trial the
arrangement for 6 months. Recommendation also included parking demand surveys to be
undertaken during the trial period at 3 months and 6 months post implementation. This
would assist to determine if there is an improvement in parking demand or an increase in
demand for the short term parking spaces for business customers and whether it is having
any negative impact on permanent car park users. A successful trial may allow a fee
structure change at a later date in BSCP to recoup the revenue losses of providing free
parking in the facility.
 The survey results showed 75% of vehicles parked in 3P parking had an average length of
stay for 1.5hours, therefore, the main impact of providing 2 hours free parking at BSCP will
be on the annual revenue for the car park facility. To recoup part of the losses it is
recommended that:
- Casual all-day parking rate be increased by $1.00 to $9.00.
- Increase the rate at the ground level “Pay & Display” area to $1.00 per hour.
 The report notes an increase in parking fees from 1st July 2011. It also recommends a
review to be carried out based on the trial results at a later date of any changes to the parking
fee structure adopted to potentially recoup the losses from the free parking proposal.
 The report does not recommend a relocation of the 70 GCC’s employee parking from BSCP
to GTCCP in the short term (less than 12 months). However subject to BSCP increasing the
peak parking occupancy to 85% and sustaining the high occupancy when the proposed 2
hour free parking is implemented, it should be considered in the medium term ( 12 +
months).
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 It is recommended that directional signposting be installed at various locations around the
town centre to improve the parking usage at GTCCP which will provide benefits to the
Gosford Business Centre

In summary, it is recommended that the implementation process of the parking proposals be staged
to provide the best benefits to the Council car parks, business owners and customers in the Gosford
Town Centre.

4.14 Key Observations of Current Policies
After a detailed assessment of current policies and contribution methods in place for new
development in the Gosford City Centre, the following has been noted:

1. A number of policies and their objectives on the matter of parking provision are in friction
and need updating and / or replacement.
2. The calculation for the provision of parking for new developments and / or change of use is
confusing and difficult to determine.
3. The value of the existing parking rates, and / or adopting new parking rates to achieve mode
shift targets are diminished by the current policies.
4. There is a disconnect between the objectives of current policies and outcomes which can be
achieved through their application.
5. The application of current policies pertaining to car park is dysfunctional.

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5 CONSULTATION
5.1 Stakeholder Workshop
As part of developing this report, consultation with key stakeholders was undertaken. The
consultation included a workshop at Council chambers at which a number of stakeholders were
invited to attend. These stakeholders included but were not limited to:

1. Chamber of Commerce
2. Gosford Business Improvement District
3. Central Coast Leagues Club
4. Department of Education
5. Police
6. Blue Tongue Stadium
7. RTA
8. Transport and Infrastructure NSW
9. Busways
10. Redbus
11. Department of Planning
12. Transport and Access Group
13. Hospital
14. Central Coast Regional Development Corporation

The presentation included a summary of the work undertaken to date including a presentation of the
previous reports and key components of this project.

Attendees were asked about the role of parking provision and its influence on desired transport
outcomes. The five precincts identified in the Gosford City Masterplan were reviewed on a case by
case basis to determine whether each precinct should or should not have its own specific parking
management guidelines.

Brown Consulting was advised of the impending exhibition of the Gosford Waterfront Masterplan
which included a summary of the proposed development of the waterfront. This material was
placed on exhibition during the course of preparing this report.

The proposal included recommended parking provision for all uses proposed including commercial,
retail, exhibition facilities, restaurants and included a large public car park adjacent to Georgina
Terrace as part of a three building commercial development. This is discussed further below in
Section 5.2 of this report.

X11170r01 Page 35


Brown Consulting was also made aware of the proposals for the precinct bounded by Racecourse
Road in the north, Holden Street in the west, Faunce Street West in the south and Showground
Road in the east known as the ‘Medical Precinct’. Much of the landholdings within this precinct are
under the ownership of Central Coast Area Health and would be subject to a masterplan in the near
future. This is also discussed further below in Section 4.2 of this report.

Some of the main issues raised during discussion between attendees on the car parking strategy for
Gosford City Centre included the following:
 Issues were raised on the costs of the commuter car parking on the individuals.
 Specific comment concerning insufficient car parking for major events at the stadium.
 Concern that the redevelopment of the Waterfront precinct will have a negative impact on
parking for the stadium particularly game days.
 Comments that cost factors for car parking provision could be used to encourage public
transport usage.
 Consider offices at reduced rate in car parking policy to encourage new developments.
 Access to disabled and aged car parking spaces, especially for retail development.
 Public parking issues with shopping trolleys in centres.
 Public bus service does not provide access for commuters to all shops and facilities in City
Centre.
 Questions about ability to better use the parking facilities.
 In respect to on-street car parking not enough provision for 2 hours parking.
 No consensus on paid on-street parking.
 Suggestion about commuter car parking elsewhere at other locations outside City Centre.
 Gosford Town Centre parking station not being fully utilised although public perception is
that it operates at capacity.
 Shuttle bus not being well utilised, needs better provision.
 Encourage amalgamation of sites to negotiate on car parking rates.
 Council needs Transport NSW input and business case for funding the TMAP initiatives.
 Proposed major development for the Waterfront and Hospital precincts by the Central
Coast Regional Development Corporation.
 The Waterfront and Hospital precinct developments are significant projects to be
determined by the State government in consultation with the Council.
 The Waterfront precinct development will have provision for public parking areas associated
with the civic entertainment area, the new swimming pool complex, the restaurants at the
wharf areas and the development of the school site.
 The Hospital precinct development includes proposals for the Showground Road area
adjacent to the hospital for a medical use area including consultation rooms, clinics and
specialist medical suites associated with the hospital. The car parking proposed with the
Hospital precinct plans is understood will greatly improve the provision of car parking
around the hospital.

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 The Waterfront and Hospital precincts are controlled by the State government and managed
through the Central Coast Regional Development Corporation.

5.2 Central Coast Regional Development Corporation Meeting
Following the meeting with stakeholders, Brown Consulting representatives met with the Central
Coast Regional Development Corporation to discuss the finer details of the Gosford Waterfront
planning which is known as ‘The Landing at Gosford”.

The proposal includes in the initial stages the following items:

 Regional Performing Arts and Conference Centre;
 Commercial Office space;
 The extension of Baker Street and a Hotel development to support the business tourism,
which will be activated as part of the regional performing arts and conference centre; and
 Gosford City Park.

On the matter of parking and as stated above, the proposal includes a large approximately 400 space
public car park as part of the commercial office development. In total the car park serving the
commercial office / hotel developments along with the public parking would include some 850
spaces.

A proportion of the parking spaces would be made available outside of normal business hours to
provide further additional parking for the developments around the precinct.

It should be noted that the calculation of parking provision for all uses was determined through the
application of a separate DCP for the area. The details of this DCP were not made available for this
report and therefore it is unknown what parking rates were applied for each proposed use.

5.3 Gosford Hospital Precinct
As stated above, the Medical Precinct is subject to a masterplanning proposal which is in its infancy.
At the time of writing this report, there was no specific information on the make-up of the potential
development proposals nor the scale of development. It is understood the scheme could include a
public parking element to alleviate current parking pressures around the hospital.

X11170r01 Page 37

Gosford Parking Study Optimizes Rates and Strategies

Gosford Parking Study Optimizes Rates and Strategies

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