For a standard townhouse or dual occupancy DA in NSW, the car parking rate comes from the council’s development control plan, not from a state policy. The Housing SEPP only sets parking rules for particular housing types it covers, such as secondary dwellings (no extra space required) and affordable or seniors housing, and the Codes SEPP sets its own minimum of one space per dwelling for complying development. So the first step on any multi-dwelling project is to open the DCP for that council and read the parking table, then check whether a state policy displaces it.
Key takeaways
- Council DCPs set the parking rate for townhouses and dual occupancies assessed by DA, and the rate varies between councils and by bedroom count.
- The Housing SEPP overrides the DCP only for the housing types it regulates, for example no additional parking for a secondary dwelling.
- The Low Rise Housing Diversity Code requires at least one off street space per dwelling for a dual occupancy, manor house or terrace approved as complying development.
- Space dimensions, aisle widths and garage sizes come from AS 2890.1:2004, which most DCPs adopt by reference.
- The 1 July 2024 change to dual occupancy permissibility in R2 zones did not change parking rates, and the proposed stage 2 standards are not yet in force.
Three layers of rules and which one wins
Parking for a residential DA is governed by three layers. Knowing which one applies avoids a lot of wasted design time.
- The LEP. Standard Instrument LEPs rarely contain a parking rate for townhouses or dual occupancies. They set permissibility, lot size, height and FSR. A few LEPs have a clause about parking in centres, but for low rise housing the LEP is usually silent.
- The DCP. This is where the rate lives. Blacktown DCP 2015, Penrith DCP 2014, Liverpool DCP 2008, Camden DCP 2019, The Hills DCP 2012 and Cumberland DCP 2021 each carry a parking table that lists a rate per dwelling by size, plus a visitor rate for multi-dwelling housing. Under section 4.15 of the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979 the council must consider the DCP, but a DCP control can be varied on merit if the outcome is still acceptable.
- State policies. The Housing SEPP and the Codes SEPP sit above the DCP. Where they set a parking rule for a development type, that rule prevails over an inconsistent DCP control.
What a typical DCP parking table looks like
Rates differ, so treat these as the shape of the table rather than the numbers for your council. Across Sydney DCPs we commonly see:
- One space per one or two bedroom dwelling.
- Two spaces per three or more bedroom dwelling.
- One visitor space per four or five dwellings for multi-dwelling housing, often rounded up.
- A requirement that at least one space per dwelling is covered or behind the building line.
- Tandem or stacked spaces accepted only where both spaces serve the same dwelling.
Dual occupancies are usually treated more simply, with one or two spaces per dwelling depending on bedrooms and no visitor requirement. In the Growth Centres, precincts such as Marsden Park, Oran Park and Gregory Hills use the Growth Centre Precincts DCP instead of the city wide DCP, and the rates and garage width rules can differ.
Where the Housing SEPP steps in
State Environmental Planning Policy (Housing) 2021 is often quoted as if it sets parking for everything. It does not. It regulates parking for the development types within its chapters:
- Secondary dwellings. No additional parking is required for a granny flat. A DCP cannot demand a space for it.
- Affordable housing, boarding houses and co-living, seniors housing, build to rent. The SEPP sets its own rates for these, often lower than the DCP rate and tied to whether the site is in an accessible area near transport.
Since 1 July 2024 the Housing SEPP has also made dual occupancies and semi-detached dwellings permissible with consent in all R2 Low Density Residential zones across NSW, with limited exclusions. That stage 1 change deals with permissibility only. It did not introduce a state parking rate for dual occupancies, so the DCP rate still applies to a dual occupancy DA today. The NSW Government has exhibited proposed stage 2 non-refusal standards for low and mid-rise housing near town centres, including parking rates, but those are proposals at the time of writing and are not in force. Read the current position on the Low and Mid-Rise Housing Policy page before relying on any proposed figure.
Complying development: the Codes SEPP rate
If the project goes through a private certifier under the Low Rise Housing Diversity Code in the Codes SEPP, the DCP does not apply at all. The Code requires at least one off street parking space per dwelling for dual occupancies, manor houses and terraces, with limits on garage width facing the street and on how much of the frontage can be driveway. That is often fewer spaces than the DCP would ask for a three bedroom townhouse, which is one reason a CDC can be attractive on a tight site. The trade is that every other Code standard must be met with no room for variation.
DCP rate versus state rule at a glance
| Development type | Where the parking rate comes from | Typical requirement |
|---|---|---|
| Townhouses (multi-dwelling housing) by DA | Council DCP | 1 to 2 spaces per dwelling by bedrooms, plus visitor spaces |
| Dual occupancy by DA | Council DCP | 1 to 2 spaces per dwelling, usually no visitor space |
| Dual occupancy, manor house or terrace by CDC | Codes SEPP, Low Rise Housing Diversity Code | At least 1 space per dwelling |
| Secondary dwelling (granny flat) | Housing SEPP | No additional space required |
| Affordable housing or seniors housing | Housing SEPP | SEPP rate, varies with accessibility |
Dimensions, garages and the AS 2890.1 check
Meeting the count is only half the job. The spaces have to work. Almost every DCP adopts AS 2890.1:2004 for layout, and the council’s development engineer will check the drawings against it. For residential projects the figures that matter most are:
- A standard space of 2.4 metres by 5.4 metres, with extra width where the space is against a wall or column.
- Internal garage dimensions of at least 3.0 metres by 5.4 metres for a single garage and 5.4 metres by 5.4 metres for a double, clear of structure and door tracks.
- Aisle width in the order of 5.8 to 6.2 metres for 90 degree parking so a vehicle can enter and leave a space in one movement.
Where the layout is tight, a swept path plot using the B85 and B99 design vehicles settles the argument. Our traffic colleagues at Swept Paths produce these for townhouse and dual occupancy DAs.
Arguing for fewer spaces
A DCP rate is not a development standard under the LEP, so a Clause 4.6 request is not the tool. Instead, the Statement of Environmental Effects needs to explain why a lower rate meets the DCP’s objectives. Proximity to a station, small two bedroom dwellings, a parking survey showing on street capacity, and a design that would otherwise be dominated by garages all carry weight. Cost, or a claim that residents in Austral or Leppington will not own cars, does not.
Frequently asked questions
How many car spaces do I need for a townhouse development in NSW?
It depends on the council DCP. Most Sydney DCPs require one space for a one or two bedroom townhouse, two spaces for three or more bedrooms, and one visitor space for every four or five dwellings. Check the parking table in your council’s DCP because rates and rounding rules vary.
Does a dual occupancy need visitor parking?
Usually not. Most DCPs treat a dual occupancy as two dwellings with one or two spaces each and do not require a visitor space. Under the Low Rise Housing Diversity Code the minimum is one space per dwelling.
Can the Housing SEPP reduce the parking my council asks for?
Only for the housing types the Housing SEPP regulates, such as secondary dwellings, affordable housing, seniors housing and co-living. For an ordinary townhouse or dual occupancy DA the DCP rate applies, and any reduction has to be argued on merit in the Statement of Environmental Effects.
Are tandem car spaces allowed for townhouses?
Many councils accept tandem spaces where both spaces serve the same dwelling, and refuse them for visitor spaces or where two dwellings would share the stack. The DCP will say which, and the spaces still need to meet AS 2890.1 dimensions.
URBA sorts out the parking layer before drawings are finalised and writes the justification into the SEE as part of our townhouse and multi-dwelling planning service across Sydney, the Central Coast and the Hunter. If you would like us to check a concept against your council’s rate, request a fee proposal and include the site address.