At its Council Meeting of 13 August 2024, Council resolved to adopt draft amendments to The Hills Development Control Plan 2012 (DCP 2012) relating to parking rates for commercial and retail development in centres, car share spaces and Electric Vehicle (EV) readiness.
The amendments will reduce parking rates for commercial and retail development within the walkable catchment of public transport within the Norwest, Castle Hill and Rouse Hill Strategic Centres and Baulkham Hills Town Centre. The reduced rates reflect the increased availability of public transport options for trips to and from these centres and aim to encourage modal shift towards active and public transport usage to ensure the road network is able to operate at a reasonable level of service as projected growth within these centres occurs over the next 20 years and beyond.
The amendments also include controls that would apply more generally throughout the Shire relating to the optional inclusion of car share parking spaces within new development and the need to ensure new development is “EV Ready” and able to accommodate the efficient installation of EV chargers in response to future demand, without significant costs associated with retrofitting or upgrading electrical capacity.
Amendments have been made to the following sections of The Hills DCP 2012:
- Part C Section 1 – Parking
- Part D Section 6 – Rouse Hill Regional Centre
- Part D Section 14 – Target Site, Corner of Windsor Rd Seven Hills Rd, Baulkham Hills
- Part D Section 19 – Showground Station Precinct
- Part D Section 20 – Castle Hill North
- Part D Section 21 – 93-107 Cecil Avenue and 9-10 Roger Avenue, Castle Hill
- Part D Section 23 – Norwest Station Site
- Part D Section 28 – 7-15 Columbia Way, Norwest
These DCP amendments come into force on 19 August 2024 and are now available for viewing on Council’s website at:
