The extract below is from the Agenda of the Woollahra Municipal Council Local Traffic Committee 2nd December 2003.

Item No.	Subject	File.No	Recommendation	Reason for Change	Existing Restrictions	Proposed Restrictions	Source of Funds
Y1-7	19 Sutherland Av. Paddington 'No Parking'	438.19	That no change be made to the 'No Parking' zone as the increase in space may cause more confusion over on street parking and lead to further encroaching over garages to the east.	Council has previously considered a request from neighbours of 19 Sutherland Avenue to remove the 'No Parking' restriction across the entrance gate to 19 Sutherland Avenue. It is considered that the 'No Parking' restrictions are required to ensure emergency access to 19 Sutherland Avenue.  The property owner has been contacted and has asked that the restrictions remain in place. The traffic committee recommended that the item be deferred to "investigate the possible reduction of the 'No Parking' zone across the entrance to 19 Sutherland Avenue to accommodate another car space." There is 6.5 metres of unrestricted parking to the east of the 'No Parking' zone and 6.0 metres of unrestricted parking to the west of the 'No Parking' zone. The 'No Parking' zone can only be reduced by approximately 1.0metre before parking begins to encroach on the access points for the property at 19 Sutherland Avenue.  This would allow 7.5 metres of unrestricted parking on the east side of the zone.	'No Parking'	No Change	Nil.

After viewing the agenda, I measured the distances determined by Mr. Younge.  Strange to say, he had measured the distance from western sign to garage accurately as 6.0 metres, but neglected to subtract the 1.0 metres required by regulation.  He had measured the distance from the eastern sign to the building alignment of number 21 accurately as 6.5 metres, but neglected to measure the distance from there to the garage door, an additional 1.8 metres.  There is actually 8.3 metres between the garage and the 'no standing' sign.  If we allow the regulation 1.0 metres to be subtracted, and add in the 1.0 metres recovered by shortening the 'No Standing' zone, then there is 8.3 meters left to park one car of 4 meters length (belonging to the occupant of No. 21) and another car of 3 metres length (belonging to the occupant of No. 19).

I then telephoned council's Mr Gareth Younge, and questioned him on legislation and regulations governing parking.  Apparently there is a requirement that a car not be parked closer than 1 meter to a driveway.  The regulation length of a parking space is 5.5metres.  (Perhaps somebody should tell the city council that.  Parking spaces in Victoria Street Kings Cross are 5.0 metres long).  I then mentioned to him that his measurements seemed to me to be inaccurate.

What happened at that meeting.

Mr Younge was late, we were advised that he was out taking measurements.

When Mr. Younge arrived, item Y1-7 was brought forward, and Mr Young showed pictures, and stated that the 6.5 metres was measured to the building alignment.

I was invited to address the meeting.  

I presented a diagram that showed that there was actually 8.3 metres of parking space, and that increasing it by one metre would make two viable parking spaces, especially if one of the cars was only 3 metres long (as is owned by an occupant of No. 19 Sutherland Avenue.)  I also pointed out that by council regulations, the space in front of number 17 Sutherland was too short, being only 5 metres after the 1.0 metre allowance adjacent to a garage was subtracted.

Mr. Russell of the RTA sympathised with my statements.  Councillor Keri Huxley was at the meeting, and she also expressed sympathy about parking in Paddington.  Keri suggested that the parking spaces be marked, but Chairman Hatton, who is familiar with the problem, explained that marked car spaces was not an appropriate procedure in this instance.

Chairman Hatton overrode the agenda recommendation that no change be made, and the meeting resolved that the sign be moved one metre to the west.

I stayed on because of item Y8 which was "Five Ways Paddington - Proposed Intersection Treatment".  I have an interest in that part of Paddington, in that I have the occasional coffee at Gusto.

It was apparent that Councillor Huxley had an interest in the redevelopment, which proposes to remove the roundabout, and "brick up" the intersection, and increase the footpath recreation areas.


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