We take on the things that affect the whole community — gather the facts, put a clear and reasonable request to the people who can fix it, and publish exactly what happens next. No politics. No pile-ons. Just the documents, the ask, and the outcome.
Sign the current petition Any NSW resident can sign · closes Wednesday 18 November 2026
Every campaign follows the same five steps, and every step is published — including the parts that don't go our way.
New housing estates are being approved with roads too narrow to park on — and it is against the road rules to park off them, on the grass verge. Residents are being fined either way. We are asking for somewhere safe and lawful to park outside our own homes.
Estate streets built as narrow as six metres. Once cars are parked, there is often not enough room for two vehicles to pass — or for an ambulance, fire appliance or garbage truck to get through.
Council has confirmed in writing that road widths are set by its own engineering guidelines — not by the State. See the evidence.
And on the verges — council’s choice. Let residents park on them and we will keep mowing them as we always have. If we cannot use them, the law already makes the upkeep council’s job. Either way suits us; we are simply asking council to pick one.
None of this costs council or the State a cent to grant — and it stops the fines from day one.
Where each ask goes. The online petition asks the NSW Parliament for the two things only the State can change — permission to park on the verge of kerbless village streets, and confirmation that the verge is council’s to maintain. The paper petition to Cessnock City Council carries the 3-metre rule, one-warning-first enforcement and an end to the council-vehicle double standard. The driveway overhang is our newest ask, put to the Mayor and headed for the next round.
One to Cessnock City Council, one to the NSW Parliament. Both are running now. At 500 signatures a Minister must respond in writing within 35 days.
Updated as it happens — every reply, every meeting, every result, published here with the date on it. to come
Parking is where we started — it is not where we stop. These are the things residents keep raising, and each one gets the same treatment: facts first, a clear ask, everything published.
Safe road widths in new estates, and a lawful place to park outside your own home.
Even, safe paths so prams, wheelchairs and kids aren’t pushed onto the road.
A fair deal on verges — usable by the residents who front them, or maintained by the council that owns them — and green space cared for.
Growth that works for the people who already live here, not just the developers.
Rates spent fairly, and the basics done well in every suburb and village, not just the centre.
If it affects the community and council can fix it, it belongs on this list. Tell us about it.
For years residents were told that the width of a new estate road was set by the State and that council had no say. That is not correct, and council has now confirmed it.
“Road widths are determined by Councils Engineering Guidelines relevant at the time of the DA assessment for subdivision. These guidelines are adopted by Council and generally align with industry standards and Austroad Guide to Road design requirements.”
“Prior to 2024 Council’s design guidelines specified a requirement of 6m wide pavements for access roads serving less than 10 allotments and 8m wide for allotments up to 200…”
We think that last point is the opportunity. If a parking shoulder goes into that regional standard, every new estate across three council areas is fixed at once — and no developer can claim they were singled out.
The NSW Parliament petition takes about thirty seconds, and because the rule is statewide, anyone in NSW can sign — you don't need to live in Cessnock. At 500 signatures a Minister is legally required to respond in writing. The petition closes Wednesday 18 November 2026.
Sign onlineOne email from you carries more weight than ten from us. We have a letter ready — add your street, send it from your own address, and tell us the reference number you get back.
Get the letterCars unable to pass. People walking on the road because the verge isn’t walkable. Trip hazards. Tell us the street and roughly when — that is what turns a complaint into evidence.
Send a photoPlease don’t photograph people, and avoid readable number plates where you can. We are showing the situation, not reporting our neighbours.
Paper copies of the petition are on the counter at these local businesses. Sign one next time you’re in — and say thanks while you’re there, because they’re hosting the sheets for nothing.
This list grows as more businesses come on board — check back. Run a local shop and happy to host a sheet? Email us and we’ll add you here as a thank-you.