Does each dwelling need its own pedestrian entrance?
Yes, each dwelling should have its own clearly identifiable pedestrian entrance, but it does not necessarily need its own completely separate pedestrian path from the street.
For a dual occupancy, the Missing Middle Housing Design Guide expects dwelling entrances to be clear, safe and accessible. The two dwellings may use a shared pedestrian access route or common path, provided each dwelling still has a distinct entrance and the access arrangement is safe and legible.
For blocks with a rear-lane boundary, the Residential Zones Technical Specifications also require pedestrian access to be provided from the main street frontage.
Reference: ACT Missing Middle Housing Design Guide – ACT Missing Middle Housing Design Guide
Short Answer
Yes, each dwelling should have its own identifiable entrance, but the pedestrian path to those entrances can be shared.
Detailed Explanation
Each dwelling in a dual occupancy should have a clearly identifiable dwelling entrance, but the planning framework does not generally require a completely separate pedestrian access path from the street for each dwelling.
A shared pedestrian route may be used where it provides safe, accessible and legible access to each dwelling entrance. The Missing Middle Housing Design Guide supports clearly marked pedestrian entrances and accessible paths, while the Technical Specifications impose additional site-specific access requirements, including main-street pedestrian access for blocks adjoining a rear lane.
No minimum block size does not remove the need for planning assessment.
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