A proposal to construct 27 three-storey townhouses on vacant land in Jolimont has raised concerns about additional parking pressure on surrounding streets, particularly during sporting events at the nearby Matthews' Netball Centre.

The development application covers land at 7 Allison Drive and 185 Salvado Road, near Wembley Sports Park.

The proposed development comprises 26 three-bedroom townhouses and one two-bedroom townhouse, with seven designed as accessible 'silver living' homes incorporating internal lifts between all three levels.

Each townhouse would include a double garage, although the proposal does not provide any dedicated visitor parking spaces.

The absence of visitor parking prompted the Town of Cambridge to request additional information from the applicant, including either the provision of seven on-site visitor bays or evidence that surrounding streets could accommodate the additional demand.

A parking assessment submitted with the application estimated that visitors to the development would generate demand for approximately six to seven parking spaces.

The assessment examined parking conditions around Matthews' Netball Centre, which opened in 1960 and contains 46 hard courts, three practice thirds and an administration building with a function hall accommodating up to 125 people.

Parking surveys found that nearby streets were already heavily used during netball activities.

On Saturday, 22 August 2026, 86 of the 93 surveyed on-street parking spaces were occupied at 4pm, leaving only seven available.

Similar demand was recorded during Friday netball activities, while parking occupancy was considerably lower outside sporting periods.

At 4.30pm on a Wednesday without netball activity, only 27 of the 93 spaces were occupied. A non-netball Sunday survey recorded 34 occupied spaces at 4pm.

The assessment also identified instances of vehicles parking in areas subject to seasonal restrictions or residential permit requirements.

Despite the high demand during netball events, the traffic consultant concluded that surrounding streets could accommodate the proposed development's visitor parking requirements.

The report noted that between seven and eight spaces remained available during the busiest surveyed periods, and that peak residential visitor demand would not necessarily coincide with netball activities.

The development application was opened for public consultation through the Town of Cambridge, with submissions closing on 23 October 2026.

As of 8 October, the proposal remained under assessment and no development approval had been confirmed.