Under NSW law, you are not allowed to park on the nature strip. Photo: Erin Hee.
Following complaints about people copping $330 fines for parking on the nature strip in Estella, the Wagga Ratepayers Association is calling for parking culverts like the ones along Urana Street to be considered when Wagga Council approves new developments.
In a ‘car city’ like Wagga, most houses will have at least two cars. However, you are not allowed to park on footpaths and nature strips in NSW, unless there is a sign saying it’s permitted.
Wagga Wagga City Council’s (WWCC) Development Control Plan (DCP) requires the provision of on-site car parking in the development assessment process, which varies based on the nature of the development.
While the provision can be a requirement for development consent, council said it was unable to enforce restrictions on parking that might occur lawfully on public roads.
“The policy does not support the development of public roadways to cater for the parking requirements of development, such as the introduction of parking culverts or bays,” a council spokesperson said.
“This introduction of off-road parking spaces may also undermine the design purpose of the selected road width, including impacts on other infrastructure such as utilities, footpaths and street trees.”
Wagga Ratepayers Association secretary Dr Lynne Bodell called this a planning flaw.
“[The Ratepayers Association] is concerned that a lot of these new developments have quite narrow streets, and if there’s a car parked either side, there’s only really room for a single vehicle to come down,” Dr Bodell said.
“I know sometimes even some of the garbage trucks have problems fitting through there.
“We were encouraging council to make little parking culverts like they have along Urana Street, so if there are more than two cars, they can just park up off the road legally and don’t get fined.
“This also means the road is more accessible to things like emergency vehicles, garbage trucks and all those.”
One Facebook user from the Estella Community Group Page, who lives in Pugsley Avenue, said she was fined for the first time in 38 years.
Another user who had been living in Estella since 1988 said she never had any issues parking on her nature strip before 2025.
WWCC said road widths were governed by council’s adopted engineering guidelines, and determined based on capacity and intended function.
“Conditions of development consents are generally not imposed requiring that vehicles related to a development are to park on-site,” a spokesperson said.
“If this type of condition was to be imposed, it would be very difficult for council to enforce.
At the moment, council does not conduct proactive patrol in residential streets and only responds to complaints, warning that parking incorrectly can cause environmental and infrastructural damage.
“Wagga Wagga City Council prioritises community safety, and parking enforcement plays an integral role in maintaining that safety,” a spokesperson said.
“Council encourages residents to utilise off-street parking options such as driveways and garages where possible.
“However, for further parking needs, residents and visitors are encouraged to use designated legal on-street parking areas in accordance with signage and road rules.
“Parking on footpaths and/or nature strips can damage surfaces, create uneven areas that pose trip hazards which can potentially injure pedestrians.
“Additionally, nature strips often contain underground utilities that may be compromised by vehicle weight and movement.
“We encourage residents to continue to report parking concerns so that appropriate action can be taken.”
