The proposed design converts Albion Street to southbound one-way traffic flow and introduces angled parking creating a safer and calmer street environment while maintaining parking capacity. 
Council has secured funding for this project through the NSW Government’s Greening Our Cities Grant, as well as Council’s Better Neighbourhoods Program and Development Contributions Plan.
This funding will enable tree planting and upgrades along the western side of Albion Street.
Construction is anticipated to commence in March 2027 and be completed by late 2027, subject to the outcome of community feedback.
Council held a first round of community consultation Between 17 November and 8 December 2025. This consultation presented 3 options to understand the community's preference on how we can add trees to Albion Street.
A total of 121 submissions were received. The results were as follows:
Option 1: Tree planting for Albion Street while retaining two-way traffic, with some loss of on street parking, received 33% of the votes (40 submissions).
Option 2: Tree planting for Albion Street with Albion Street converted to a one-way street and no loss of on street parking, received 58% of the votes (70 submissions).
Option 3: No changes to Albion Street and no support for tree planting, received 9% of the votes (11 submissions).
The project aims to introduce street trees and upgrade the existing asphalt footpaths to create a cooler, shaded and more comfortable street environment.
Angled parking allows trees to be planted further from overhead wires, making it possible to use larger tree species that provide an immediate cooling benefit. Changing Albion Street to one-way traffic also retains the current number of parking spaces and supports a calmer, safer traffic environment.
By introducing street trees, Council aims to provide more shade, create a cooler and more inviting environment, and enhance the overall amenity of Albion Street by upgrading the footpath on the western side of Albion Street.
This project will also adjust traffic flow to one-way southbound, and implement angled parking which allows retaining the current number of parking spaces and assist in reducing traffic congestion.
If you have provided a submission, you will be notified of the outcome by email. Community members can also follow this project page for updates throughout the project.
Should the project proceed, Council will provide key updates to affected residents, businesses and ratepayers through direct communications, including letters.
Line marked parallel on-street parking bays are commonly designed to 2.3m to 2.5m. The final dimensions of the design for Albion Street will be influenced by factors such as available road width, traffic studies, safety and compliance with Australian Standards. Council is aware that vehicles sizes have increased over time and this will be considered in the final arrangement of the street.
The parking on the western side of Albion Street will be angled parking. This is the proposed option to retain current parking capacity.
Council proposes planting 15 trees along Albion Street, including near the corners of Albion Street with Una Street and Marion Street, subject to detailed design investigations.
Council is reviewing species subject to site conditions and final design outcomes relating to soil volume and clear sight lines.
Species will likely include native species that are drought tolerant, shade giving, evergreen trees such as:
- Tristaniopsis laurina ‘Luscious’ (Water Gum)
- Buckinghamia celsissima (Ivory Curl Tree)
- Angophora floribunda (Rough Barked Apple)
Suitable native understory species with good drought tolerance include:
- Chrysocephalum (Sunny Buttons)
- Tasred Dianella (Flax Lily)
- Ozothamnus (Rice Flowers)
Extending the footpath is not proposed due to the significant cost of rebuilding the kerb and gutter and upgrading drainage. The preferred design allows the existing heritage kerb to be retained and enables larger trees to be planted further into the roadway, away from overhead power lines. If the option to extend the footpath was progressed, planting within the footpath would still require planting under the powerlines and would be restricted to smaller tree species that can grow safely in this location.
Traffic studies and modelling show that there are no concerns related to increased congestion following the one-way conversion.
The modelling shows very minor queueing impact compared to what is there currently. What this likely translates to “on-the-ground” is that there may be a few cars waiting to turn into Albion Street at any given time, but they should be able to find enough gaps in traffic to not have to wait too long. Queueing along other roads will also be fairly similar to existing.
A southbound one-way direction of Albion Street would lead to the best outcome for Harris Park.
The traffic modelling assessment shows that the direction of the one-way has very little difference from a traffic performance perspective so the decision is based on the following:
- A southbound one-way Albion Street removes vehicle queuing on Marion Street because Albion Street becomes exit-only. Vehicles entering Albion Street would instead use Una Street. As Marion Street has much higher pedestrian activity than Una Street, this improves safety and traffic flow.
- Making Albion Street exit-only and reducing Marion Street to a single lane creates an opportunity to shorten the pedestrian crossing distance, further improving pedestrian safety.
- A southbound arrangement also reduces the need for heavy vehicles, such as waste collection and delivery trucks, to use the Harris Street/Marion Street roundabout. If Albion Street were northbound, heavy vehicles approaching from the east would need to use the roundabout to access Albion Street. The roundabout can only accommodate vehicles up to 8.8 m long, limiting access for larger vehicles.
Council investigated retaining two-way traffic while adding trees; however, this option would remove approximately 11 parking spaces. As the first round of consultation showed majority support for retaining the current number of parking spaces, the proposed design converts Albion Street to one-way traffic.
