Undertaking Traffic and Car Parking Impact Assessments in Boroondara Council: A Developer’s Guide

This guide provides a comprehensive overview of the Boroondara City Council’s requirements for traffic and parking impact assessments to help you secure planning approval for your development.

Why Boroondara Council Prioritises Traffic and Parking Management

The City of Boroondara is a unique municipality known for its distinct local character. Navigating its planning requirements demands a nuanced understanding of the delicate balance it strikes between preserving heritage, managing bustling activity centres, and maintaining the amenity of its residential streets. For this reason, issues like traffic congestion and parking spillover are highly sensitive community topics, and the council maintains stringent oversight.

Council’s strategic objectives focus on sustainable transport and protecting local amenity. A professionally prepared Traffic and Car Parking Impact Assessment is the primary tool for a developer to demonstrate that a proposed project aligns with these objectives and will not adversely affect the community.

Balancing Growth and Character: Activity Centres and Heritage Overlays

A key challenge in Boroondara is managing the tension between state-level planning goals and local character. The Victorian Government encourages higher-density development around key transport hubs, including stations like Hawthorn, Glenferrie, Auburn, Kew, Riversdale, Willison, and Ashburton. While Boroondara Council generally supports the goal of increasing housing supply, it actively advocates for greater local input to ensure new developments are appropriate in scale and design.

This approach is formalized in various structure plans and local policies:

• Activity Centre Plans: Strategies like the Camberwell Junction Structure Plan use a "core and catchment" model. This directs taller, higher-density buildings to the central commercial core while transitioning to lower-rise forms in the surrounding residential catchment, aiming to concentrate growth while protecting neighbourhood character. Similar detailed plans exist for Glenferrie and Kew Junction, each with specific objectives for land use, transport, and public spaces.

• Heritage and Built Form: In areas with significant heritage value, such as the Maling Road Shopping Village, strict controls on built form are in place. Any traffic or parking solution must respect these constraints, ensuring vehicle access and parking facilities do not compromise the area’s unique architectural and historical character.

For developers, this means a traffic assessment cannot be a generic document. It must demonstrate a sophisticated understanding of the specific local context, whether that’s aligning with the growth strategy of an Activity Centre or proposing access solutions that are sensitive to a Heritage Overlay.

Key Triggers for a Traffic Report in Your Boroondara DA

You will likely need to commission a traffic and parking report if your development application involves:

• An increase in the number of dwellings or the gross floor area.

• A proposed change of land use (e.g., converting a residential property to a commercial one like a medical centre).

• An application seeking a reduction in the statutory car parking rates outlined in the Boroondara Planning Scheme.

• A site located on a main road, near a critical intersection, or within a sensitive local area.

Understanding the Boroondara Planning Scheme Requirements

A compliant report must directly respond to the Boroondara Planning Scheme. This involves:

• Clause 52.06 (Car Parking): A detailed analysis of car parking requirements, supply, and demand.

• Local Planning Policies: Referencing specific local policies that influence traffic, parking, and access decisions within Boroondara.

• Net Community Benefit: Demonstrating that the overall outcome of the development provides a net benefit to the community, with traffic and parking impacts being acceptably managed.

• Addressing Planning Controls: A thorough report provides council planners with the evidence needed to determine that your proposal satisfies these specific controls.

Core Components of a Compliant Traffic and Parking Assessment Report

To be effective, your report must be clear, logical, and structured for easy review by council planners. It should begin with a concise executive summary of the key findings and recommendations and clearly describe the proposed development in the context of the existing site and road network. The analysis must be robust, using accepted methodologies, and the conclusions must directly address the requirements of the Boroondara Planning Scheme.

Traffic Generation and Impact Analysis

This section quantifies the traffic impact of your proposal.

• Trip Calculation: Calculate the expected number of vehicle trips using accepted rates, such as those from the Roads and Maritime Services (RMS) Guide to Traffic Generating Developments or VicRoads data.

• Intersection Performance: Assess the impact on nearby intersection performance, often requiring SIDRA analysis for more complex sites.

• Wider Impacts: Evaluate the effects on public transport, pedestrians, and cyclists in the vicinity.

• Mitigation Measures: Propose practical mitigation measures if any significant negative impacts are identified (e.g., road widening, signal modifications).

Car Parking Demand Assessment

This is a critical component for Boroondara applications.

• Statutory Calculation: Calculate the required number of car parking spaces based on the rates specified in Clause 52.06 of the Boroondara Planning Scheme.

• Justification for Shortfall: If proposing fewer spaces than required, provide robust justification supported by detailed on-street parking survey data.

• Parking Allocation: Clearly define the allocation of parking spaces for residents, visitors, staff, or customers.

• See our full range of traffic engineering services for more detail on our capabilities.

Site Access and Internal Circulation Review

This section ensures the development is safe and functional.

• Access Safety: Confirm that vehicle access and egress points provide safe sight lines for drivers and pedestrians.

• Australian Standards Compliance: Verify that all aspects of the car park design (e.g., space dimensions, aisle widths, ramp grades) comply with the Australian Standards (AS 2890 series).

• Swept Path Analysis: Undertake Swept Path Analysis using software like AutoTURN to demonstrate that design vehicles (e.g., cars, delivery vans, waste collection trucks) can manoeuvre safely.

• Design Review: Assess ramp grades, headroom clearances, aisle widths, and the design of loading bays.

Navigating Boroondara’s Specific Car Parking Requirements (Clause 52.06)

Clause 52.06 of the Boroondara Planning Scheme is the foundation of every parking assessment. Boroondara Council is known for its strict application of these requirements, and a proposed parking shortfall is a common reason for significant delays or refusals of a development application. It is crucial to distinguish between the statutory rates specified in the scheme and the actual parking demand your development will generate, providing evidence for any variation.

Understanding VC277 and Boroondara’s Car Parking Requirement Maps

Recent planning scheme amendment VC277 has introduced significant changes to Clause 52.06 across Victoria. The key change is the introduction of new car parking rates and Car Parking Requirement Maps. These maps designate specific areas—typically those with excellent access to high-frequency public transport and services—where reduced statutory parking rates may apply.

When preparing your application, it is essential to:

1. Identify your location on the maps: Determine if your site falls within a designated area that allows for alternative parking rates.

2. Apply the correct rate: The applicable car parking rate will depend on your location as defined by these new maps.

3. Provide clear justification: Even if you are in an area with reduced rates, your report must still justify the proposed parking supply in the context of local conditions and the specific nature of your development.

Calculating Your Statutory Parking Requirement

The first step is to identify the correct parking rate for your specific land use as defined in Clause 52.06.

• Examples: For apartments, the rate is typically per dwelling; for a medical centre, it is per 100sqm of floor area.

• Mixed-Use Developments: For projects with multiple uses (e.g., ground-floor retail with apartments above), you must calculate the requirement for each use and add them together.

• Other Requirements: Remember to include calculations for bicycle parking and accessible (disabled) parking spaces as required by the scheme.

Justifying a Car Parking Reduction or Waiver

A waiver or reduction of the statutory parking requirement is never automatic and requires powerful justification.

• Evidence-Based Argument: Your argument must be based on solid evidence, such as low car ownership rates in the area or exceptional access to high-frequency public transport.

• **Robust Survey ** Conduct comprehensive on-street parking surveys to demonstrate that there is sufficient existing capacity in the surrounding street network to absorb any overflow demand.

• No Amenity Impact: The core of your justification must prove that the proposed parking shortfall will not result in a negative impact on the amenity of the local area.

Conducting Parking Surveys Boroondara Council Will Accept

If you rely on survey data, its methodology must be sound.

• Timing: Surveys must be conducted on typical weekdays and/or weekends, relevant to the proposed land use.

• Peak Periods: Data collection must cover the peak demand periods for the area (e.g., weekday business hours for a commercial area, evenings for a residential area).

• Methodology: The methodology, including the duration of the survey and the size of the study area, must be clearly documented and defensible.

• Presentation: Results must be presented clearly using tables and annotated maps that are easy for council planners to interpret.

The Assessment Process: From Project Brief to Council Approval

Following a structured process is the most efficient way to achieve a high-quality report and a successful outcome. Engaging an experienced traffic engineer early in the design phase is critical. The process involves comprehensive data collection, detailed technical analysis, and clear reporting, with close collaboration between the traffic consultant, architect, and wider project team.

Step 1: Initial Consultation and Scoping

• Discuss the project vision, architectural plans, and any preliminary advice from the council with an experienced traffic consultant.

• Define the precise scope of the traffic and parking report required to address the key issues.

• Agree on a fee proposal for the scope of work.

• Contact us to discuss your Boroondara project today.

Step 2: Site Investigation and Data Collection

• Visit the site to observe and document existing traffic operations, parking conditions, and pedestrian activity.

• Commission traffic counts and on-street parking occupancy surveys if required by the project’s complexity.

• Gather data on nearby public transport routes, cycle paths, and pedestrian networks.

• Photograph key site features, access points, and the surrounding road network.

Step 3: Analysis, Reporting, and Submission

• Undertake the necessary technical analysis using industry-standard software (e.g., SIDRA for intersections, AutoTURN for swept paths).

• Draft the comprehensive report, detailing the methodology, analysis, findings, and clear recommendations.

• Liaise with the architect and project team to ensure the report’s recommendations are reflected in the final design plans.

• Submit the final, signed report as a key part of your development application package to Boroondara Council.

Common Pitfalls in Boroondara Traffic Reports (And How to Avoid Them)

Many development applications in Boroondara are delayed by simple, avoidable errors in their traffic and parking reports. Council’s planners are highly experienced in identifying flawed analysis, which can lead to formal Requests for Information (RFIs), costly redesigns, and significant project delays. Working with a traffic engineering specialist who has proven experience in the municipality is the best way to reduce this risk.

Inadequate Justification for Parking Waivers

• The Mistake: Relying on broad assumptions about public transport use instead of providing robust, site-specific survey data.

• How to Avoid: Properly document the survey methodology and present clear, verifiable results that prove sufficient on-street parking capacity exists. Address the cumulative impact of parking shortfalls in the area.

• Our experienced team knows what evidence Boroondara Council looks for in a parking waiver justification.

Non-Compliant Access and Car Park Design

• The Mistake: Designing driveway ramps that are too steep or providing insufficient maneuvering space, which violates Australian Standard AS 2890.1.

• How to Avoid: Ensure all car park dimensions, ramp grades, and aisle widths are certified against the relevant Australian Standards. Verify all movements with a detailed swept path analysis, especially for waste collection vehicles.

Ignoring Local Context and Community Concerns

• The Mistake: Submitting a generic report that fails to address the site’s unique local context.

• How to Avoid: The report must acknowledge and address factors like proximity to schools or parks, known local traffic congestion ‘hot spots’, and peak school drop-off/pick-up times. A good report anticipates and proactively addresses likely objections from residents and satisfies council’s local strategic objectives. This includes:

• Failing to address the site’s proximity to schools, parks, or community facilities.

• Underestimating traffic impacts during peak school drop-off/pick-up times.

• Ignoring known local traffic congestion ‘hot spots’.

• Disregarding the specific objectives of a relevant Activity Centre Structure Plan or the constraints of a Heritage Overlay.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

How long does it take to prepare a Traffic and Parking Assessment for Boroondara Council?
For a standard small-to-medium development, the process typically takes 2-3 weeks from commissioning to final report, provided no extensive traffic or parking surveys are required.

What is the average cost for a traffic report for a small-to-medium development in Boroondara?
Costs vary depending on the complexity of the project and the level of analysis required. A simple Traffic Statement will be less than a full Traffic Impact Assessment that requires intersection modelling and extensive surveys. Contact us for a site-specific fee proposal.

What happens if the Boroondara Council issues a Request for Information (RFI) on my traffic report?
An RFI means the council requires more information or clarification. Your traffic consultant will review the council’s questions, undertake any necessary additional analysis, and prepare a formal response letter to address their concerns.

Do I need a traffic report if I am only adding one or two units to a property?
Often, yes. Even a small increase in dwellings can trigger the need for a car parking assessment, especially if you are seeking a reduction in the standard parking requirements or if access is constrained.

How does being in a Parking Overlay Area in Boroondara affect my application?
A Parking Overlay introduces specific local parking requirements that may differ from the standard Clause 52.06 rates. Your report must identify and directly address the specific requirements of the overlay.

Can ML Traffic Engineers handle the entire process, including responding to council queries?
Yes. We manage the process from initial scoping through to submission and provide post-submission support, including preparing responses to council RFIs to ensure a smooth path to approval.

What is the difference between a Traffic Impact Assessment (TIA) and a simpler Traffic Statement?
A Traffic Statement is typically for smaller developments with minor impacts, focusing primarily on parking and access compliance. A TIA is a more detailed report for larger projects, involving analysis of the wider road network, intersection performance, and trip generation.

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