Newington Parking

Newington is primarily a residential area which is located within 2km walking distance from Sydney Olympic Park (SOP). Event attendees park on local streets in Newington during major events at nearby Sydney Olympic Park. This parking has posed a challenge for emergency vehicles, which require a minimum 3.5m travel lane width, and discourages use of public transport for travel to events at SOP.

A staged strategy approach focused on traffic control measures is currently being implemented. The first stage is implementation of on-street measures to regulate the traffic environment at all times, including during major events. New traffic signs have been implemented in several areas following consultation. This stage also includes ongoing monitoring of the changes for efficacy. Further changes may be undertaken subject to consultation, however, most planned works have been implemented. The second stage will consider a Parking Scheme. The strategy has been to identify and prioritise traffic and pedestrian safety in the first instance and then look at options to address the amenity impacts being experienced by residents and encouraging use of public transport by event attendees.

Next Stage – Consultation for a Special Event Parking Scheme (SEPS)

City of Parramatta Council will commence community consultation on a proposed SEPS in the middle of this year.

A SEPS consists of area wide timed parking restrictions that can be activated during a special event. They allow residents to apply to Council for parking permits that then allow them to park in excess of the signposted timed parking restrictions. Parking permits for visitors of residents would also be available. The permits do not exempt residents from ‘No Stopping’, ‘No Parking’, or other statutory restrictions such as parking at intersections or on nature strips.

The process to establish the scheme includes making decisions on the following matters:

• The size (i.e number of attendees) and/or duration of an event or type of event at Sydney Olympic Park that should trigger a SEPS activation (noting that each activation will benefit some residents but may inconvenience others). A low SEPS activation may regularly affect residents’ ability to host personal gatherings. A high SEPS activation trigger will mean there would often still be event parking in the streets closest to Sydney Olympic Park.
• Identifying which areas in Newington should be included in the scheme. Parking demand will likely shift to other parts of Newington or nearby suburbs not covered in the area.
• What information residents need to provide to prove residency and responsibility for a vehicle to obtain a permit (including for renters or drivers of company cars).
• The maximum number of permits per household, which may be related to the number of garages or formal parking spaces (eg single/double carport/garage) for the property.
• The maximum number of visitor permits per household per year
• The annual cost of permits.
• Measures to manage visitor permits to limit misuse (e.g. forwarding to event attendees).
• Measures to reduce visual pollution from the scale and number of SEPS signs.

To stay updated and for more information on this project, please visit Participate Parramatta.

Review and enforcement

1. Council is reviewing traffic and parking conditions on major event days.
2. Council is undertaking enforcement of illegal parking in relation to the recently installed parking restrictions and statutory restrictions that are not required to be signposted. The focus for enforcement is during major events at Sydney Olympic Park.
3. Monitoring of the number of parking infringements issued is being undertaken.
4. Trialling electronic signs to advise motorists of parking enforcement on major event days.
5. Consideration will be given to possible further options regarding parking schemes. What does this mean?

You can contact Council about illegal parking matters as they occur via Council’s Customer Service team on 02 9806 5050. If the matter is not urgent, you can also Submit a Service Request using the following link City of Parramatta Council. Council Officers can attend to parking reports from 6am to 7pm Monday to Sunday.

Council will endeavour to attend as soon as possible to address your concerns however, please note that during periods of high call volume, attendance to your report may be impacted. Parking reports are prioritised based on any safety concerns that are raised such as blocked driveways, parking in No Stopping zones and intersections for example.

Please note it is not necessary to lodge a parking report during events being held at Sydney Olympic Park. Council arranges patrols during major events held at SOPA and has officers dedicated to the Newington and Lidcombe area to enforce illegal parking.