Can one dwelling's parking be located behind the other dwelling?
The parking for each dwelling does not necessarily need to be directly beside or in front of that dwelling.
Parking for a rear dwelling may be located further into the block, including behind the front dwelling. The layout will need to provide suitable vehicle access and meet the required parking dimensions and manoeuvring requirements.
If one vehicle has to park behind another vehicle, this becomes a tandem parking arrangement, which needs to be considered separately.
Reference : Planning (Residential Zones) Technical Specifications 2026 (NI2026-303) — Assessment Outcome 27 (Parking) – Planning (Residential Zones) Technical Specifications 2026
Short Answer
Yes, potentially. Parking for one dwelling in a dual occupancy can be located behind the other dwelling, provided the proposed parking and vehicle access arrangement complies with the applicable planning and technical requirements.
Detailed Explanation
For a dual-occupancy proposal, the location of a parking space behind another dwelling is not necessarily prohibited simply because of its position on the block.
The proposed arrangement will need to be assessed against the current Planning (Residential Zones) Technical Specifications 2026 (NI2026-303) and other applicable Territory Plan requirements, including provisions relating to:
- the required number of parking spaces;
- parking-space dimensions;
- vehicle access and driveway design;
- manoeuvring requirements; and
- any specific requirements affecting tandem or dependent parking arrangements.
Accordingly, whether the arrangement is acceptable will depend on the actual site and parking layout, rather than simply whether the parking space sits behind the other dwelling.
No minimum block size does not remove the need for planning assessment.
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