Blocked Driveways Crackdown Announced

Inner West Council’s new towing policy gives residents fast relief from blocked driveways, allowing offending cars to be towed free of charge.

More on Marrickville

Have you ever come home after a long day to find someone parked across your driveway? Now you can do something about it.

Inner West Council has introduced a new policy to make sure residents and businesses don’t get stuck waiting for an inconsiderate parker to move. Vehicles that block driveways can now be towed free of charge for the affected resident or business owner, clearing access quickly and saving plenty of frustration.

Here’s how it works: if your driveway is blocked, contact Council and a parking officer will respond. Once confirmed, the offending vehicle will be towed to a nearby street, and both local police and Council’s Customer Service team will be notified. The vehicle’s owner will be informed as soon as they return to find their car moved.

This policy comes in response to growing complaints about illegal parking - in 2024 alone, Council received 4,393 reports of blocked driveways. Parking officers are already attending these incidents within three hours 91% of the time. Now, instead of just issuing a fine, they’ll also restore access straight away.

To further discourage bad behaviour, fines for blocking a driveway have doubled to $660.

Councillor Chloe Smith said the change is all about protecting residents:

“There’s absolutely a need for tougher measures. Parking is tight, and being blocked in can mean missing childcare pickups or hospital visits. It’s incredibly frustrating.”

The new towing policy aims to keep traffic flowing, free up driveways, and make Inner West streets just a little less stressful. You can reach Inner West Council on: 02 9392 5000