church street activity centre car parking background ......parking issues and needs analysis,...
TRANSCRIPT
Church Street Activity Centre
Car Parking Background Report
August 2016
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Table of Contents 1. BACKGROUND ................................................................................................................................ 4
2. STRATEGY AND POLICY CONTEXT .................................................................................................. 5
2.1. State Planning Policies ................................................................................................................ 5
2.1.1. Draft Plan Melbourne Refresh Discussion Paper October 2015 ............................................. 5
2.1.2. State Planning Policy Framework............................................................................................ 5
2.2. Relevant Local Strategic Documents........................................................................................... 7
2.2.1. Local Planning Policy Framework ............................................................................................ 7
2.2.2. Other Strategic Documents .................................................................................................... 8
3. CHURCH STREET MAJOR ACTIVITY CENTRE DEMOGRAPHIC PROFILE ........................................ 11
3.1. Household Type ........................................................................................................................ 12
3.2. Dwelling Structure .................................................................................................................... 12
3.3. Car ownership ........................................................................................................................... 13
3.4. Ageing population ..................................................................................................................... 14
3.5. Method of travel to work .......................................................................................................... 14
3.6. Forecast population growth ...................................................................................................... 16
3.7. Economic growth ...................................................................................................................... 17
3.8. Projected demand for car parking based on forecasts for dwellings ....................................... 19
4. EXISTING CAR PARKING CONDITIONS ......................................................................................... 20
4.1. Types of parking users .............................................................................................................. 21
4.2. Current parking supply and restrictions ................................................................................... 21
4.3. Capacity limits ........................................................................................................................... 22
4.4. Summary of key findings from parking survey ......................................................................... 22
4.5. Public Transport data on Middle Brighton train station patronage ......................................... 23
4.6. Train station patronage fact sheet for 2013-2014 .................................................................... 24
5. COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT / ISSUES IDENTIFICATION ............................................................. 26
5.1. Consultation / Feedback ........................................................................................................... 26
5.2. Community comments concerning car parking ........................................................................ 26
5.3. Summary of Key Issues Identified ............................................................................................. 28
6. OPTIONS FOR MANAGING SUPPLY AND DEMAND ..................................................................... 29
6.1. Car parking demand reduction mechanisms ............................................................................ 29
6.1.1. Reduce Unrestricted Parking Supply ..................................................................................... 30
6.1.2. Greater Parking Enforcement to Ensure Turnover ............................................................... 30
6.1.3. Installation of and improvements to Parking Guidance Signage .......................................... 31
6.1.4. Increased Parking Restrictions .............................................................................................. 32
6.1.5. The Installation of Paid Parking Facilities .............................................................................. 33
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6.1.6. Parking Permit Schemes and Priority Parking for Identified Users ....................................... 33
6.1.7. Reduced Car Parking Rates ................................................................................................... 38
6.1.8. Improvements and Extensions to the Supply of Off-Street Parking ..................................... 43
6.1.9. Behavioural Change Programs .............................................................................................. 44
6.1.10. Incentives for Sustainable Transport Modes ........................................................................ 48
7. CONCLUSION ................................................................................................................................ 49
List of Tables
Table 1: Household and Family Structure
Table 2: Dwelling Type
Table 3: Number of Cars per Household
Table 4: Age Structure – Five Year Age Groups
Table 5: Method of Travel to Work
Table 6: Forecast Age Structure – 5 Year Age Groups
Table 7: Retail Demand Forecast Projections
Table 8: Commercial Floorspace Forecast
Table 9: Projected Parking Demand for Commercial and Office
Table 10: Projected Parking Demand for Retail/Shop
Table 11: Dwelling Forecast for Church Street MAC Towards 2030
Table 12: Car Parking Supply and Restrictions as at 2014
Table 13: Middle Brighton Station Weekday Entries
Table 14: The Proportional Weekday Entries by Access Mode
Table 15: Clause 52.06 Parking Rates
Table 16: Relevant Planning Applications and VCAT Findings for Church Street MAC
Table 17: Council Owned Carparks in Church Street Activity Centre
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Reference Documents
Car Parking Precinct Plan, Aecom 2006
Expert Witness Report, Aurecon 2012
Community Consultation Summaries, Aurecon 2014
Parking Issues and Needs Analysis, Aurecon 2014
Bayside Car Parking Plans Part A - Review of Previous Studies, O’Brien Traffic, 2015
Bayside Car Parking Plans Part C- Proposed Method, O’Brien Traffic, 2016
Practice Note 22: Using the Car Parking Provisions, June 2012
Practice Note 57: The Parking Overlay, June 2012
City of Bayside 2011 Census results – Church Street Major Activity Centre
Other supporting strategies
Bayside Housing Strategy 2012
Bayside Integrated Transport Strategy 2013
Bayside Bicycle Strategy 2013
Bayside Walking Strategy 2015
Public Transport Advocacy Statement 2013
Beach Road Corridor Strategy 2011
Church Street Centre Structure Plan 2006
Church Street Structure Plan Review 2016
Church Street Infrastructure Management Plan 2009
Retail, Commercial and Employment Strategy 2016
Council Policy - Managing On-Street Car Parking Policy and Procedure
Council Policy - Residential Parking Permit Scheme
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1. BACKGROUND In recent years, Bayside City Council has undertaken considerable work in relation to understanding
and planning for car parking and sustainable travel in its activity centres.
The purpose of this report has been to identify a package of measures that will manage car parking
supply and demand within the Activity Centre and support future growth of the centre whilst
maintaining the attractiveness of the centre as a place to live, shop, do business and visit.
Since the preparation of the AECOM Parking Precinct Plan in 2006, significant changes have occurred
both in relation to the policy context around sustainable transport use as well as changes within the
Church Street Activity Centre.
Given the numerous studies prepared by and on behalf of Council in recent years, this report does
not set out to repeat the data but simply summarise the key influences and issues that are to be
addressed through the preparation of a new Car Parking Plan.
An initial community engagement process occurred in November 2014 to understand the key issues
for residents and traders within the activity centre. In addition, recent community consultation as
part of the development of the draft Community Plan has confirmed Bayside residents’ expectations
in relation to car parking and sustainable transport use. The community expectations in relation to
car parking are summarised further within this report. Many comments raised the issue of providing
additional car parking, however it is worth noting that on street parking is a finite resource in high
demand. Council’s ability to provide additional off street parking is limited, given the high cost of
development and the preferred character sought for the activity centre.
This background report provides a comprehensive review of previous work carried out in relation to
car parking in the Church Street Activity Centre and concentrated on six key areas of investigation
including:
a review of previous studies including an analysis of strategic context and policy position;
a review of the literature including other councils’ car parking strategies;
an analysis on the car parking surveys;
community consultation;
an investigation into the different systems used to mitigate car parking demand; and
development of strategies recommended to assist in managing increasing car parking
demand.
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2. STRATEGY AND POLICY CONTEXT This section provides a brief analysis on the strategic context and current policy position of Council
on car parking.
2.1. State Planning Policies
There are a number of relevant State and Local policy documents which provide guidance for the
direction of this Car Parking Background Report. Those which are most relevant in the context of
transport planning are as follows:
National Road Safety Strategy
Victoria Cycling Strategy
Transport Integration Act 2010
Public Transport Guidelines for Land Use and Development
Metropolitan Planning Strategy - Plan Melbourne refresh discussion paper
SmartRoads Policy
Victorian Planning Provisions – Clause 18 (Transport)
Victorian Planning Provisions – Clause 52.06 (Car Parking)
2.1.1. Draft Plan Melbourne Refresh Discussion Paper October 2015 The refresh of Plan Melbourne will focus on climate change, housing affordability and updating Plan
Melbourne to reflect current government transport commitments and priorities. The draft
document is currently under review. This refresh is unlikely to have significant implications for the
Church Street Activity Centre, as the centre is already a designated area for population growth
having regard to the Bayside Housing Strategy 2012 and the role of the centre in the municipal
activity centre network.
2.1.2. State Planning Policy Framework
The State Planning Policy Framework (SPPF) in the Bayside Planning Scheme contains a range of
state-wide policy directions that must be taken into account by the Council in administering the
Planning Scheme. The Framework states that in allocating or requiring land to be set aside for car
parking, Councils should:
Have regard to the existing and potential modes of access including public transport, the
demand for off-street car parking, road capacity and the potential for demand management
of car parking.
Encourage the efficient provision of car parking through the consolidation of car parking
facilities.
The SPPF also states at Clause 18.02 that planning and responsible authorities should prepare or
require car parking plans for the design and location of local car parking to:
Protect the role and function of nearby roads, and enable the easy and efficient movement
and delivery of goods.
Achieve a high standard of urban design and protect the amenity of the locality, including
the amenity of pedestrians and other road users.
Create a safe environment for users, particularly at night.
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Facilitate the use of public transport.
Clause 18.02 further states that the amenity of residential land is to be protected from the effects of
road congestion created by on-street parking, and that adequate provision for taxi ranks should be
planned for as part of activity centres.
The following is a summary of the specific Clauses in the Scheme related to transport and car parking
requirements:
Clause 18.01 (Transport)
The objective of this Clause is to create a safe and sustainable transport system by integrating
land-use and transport. Encouraging the use of public transport and walking and cycling as
modes of transport is central to achieving this objective. The Church Street Activity Centre lends
itself to promote the vision of this objective by encouraging the use of public transport, cycling
and walking and not encouraging an abundance of car parking within the area, and in turn an
overuse of motor vehicles.
Clause 52.06 (Car Parking)
Within Bayside proposed development land uses have associated off-street car parking
requirements and rates. The car parking rates are set as a standard across Victoria with the
option for local variances in car parking requirements. This clause also provides for the waiver or
reduction of parking requirements as appropriate.
Clause 52.06 provides car parking requirements for a use listed as a product of the standard
rates in Column A, or the lower rates in Column B in Table 1. The lower rates provided in Column
B apply to those areas specified in a schedule to the Parking Overlay.
These parking provisions have been provided to help streamline the planning system by
removing onerous requirements, providing wider flexibility in decision making and promoting
sustainable transport.
Clause 52.07 (Loading and Unloading of Vehicles)
The purpose of Clause 52.07 is to set aside land for loading and unloading commercial vehicles
to prevent loss of amenity and adverse effect on traffic flow and road safety. Clause 52.07 states
that no building or works may be constructed for the manufacture, servicing, storage or sale of
goods or materials unless the required loading facilities are provided on site.
To improve traffic circulation and the amenity in the Church Street Activity Centre, loading and
unloading should be encouraged to the rear of properties. A key issue is to ensure that adequate
vehicle parking and appropriate traffic management practices are introduced into the centre so
as to improve vehicle access, circulation, parking, loading/unloading and pedestrian
movement/safety.
Clause 52.34 (Bicycle Facilities)
Many existing office buildings and multi-dwelling residential buildings do not have enough
bicycle parking in convenient and accessible storage facilities. There are also issues with the
number of lockers and showers available to employees, and the provision of space for drying
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clothes and towels. Many popular destinations do not have sufficient publicly accessible bicycle
parking forcing people to lock their bicycles to street fixtures that are not designed to properly
support a bicycle.
Clause 52.34 sets out the end of trip facilities that new developments must provide. Clause
52.34 sets out good rates of bicycle parking for areas that do not have a high demand for bicycle
parking. Areas with high demand should go above and beyond the requirements so that
employees, residents and visitors now and into the future can ride to their destinations without
having to think twice about bicycle parking.
Clause 52.36 (Integrated Public Transport Planning)
The purpose of Clause 52.36 is to ensure that new development supports public transport usage
and to ensure that easily accessible public transport networks, which are appropriate to the
scale of the development, and high quality public transport infrastructure are provided as part of
new development.
This is important in ensuring all new developments make it easier for people to use public
transport as their preferred method of transport.
2.2. Relevant Local Strategic Documents
The following is a summary of planning policy and strategic documents that have relevance to the
management of car parking demand within the Church Street MAC. The most relevant documents
are:
2.2.1. Local Planning Policy Framework
The Municipal Strategic Statement (MSS) in the Local Planning Policy Framework (LPPF) of the
Planning Scheme states the Municipality’s strategic direction for Bayside.
Clause 21.02 (Bayside Key Issues and Strategic Vision)
The Residential Strategic Framework Plan at Clause 21.02 provides an overview of the
municipality’s strategic vision, recognising the role of Church Street MAC as a key contributor of
economic activity and population growth.
Clause 21.03 (Settlement and Housing)
This clauses references Church Street as a Major Activity Centre. This is reinforced in a key
objective, which is:
“To direct new medium density housing to Major Activity Centres, particularly those with good
access to public transport routes as identified in the Residential Strategic Framework Plan.”
Clause 21.09 (Transport and Access)
This Clause provides strategic direction about how integrated transport is to be addressed at the
local level. It sets out key objectives for cycling, roads, access and car parking in Bayside. The aim
of these objectives is to assist in reducing the car dependency of the municipality by providing
easier access and better transport alternatives to the motor vehicle in convenient locations. Of
particular relevance is the objective to improve access, movement and car parking within,
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around and through activity centres and to maintain existing numbers of public parking spaces
and ensure appropriate numbers of additional parking spaces are provided in accordance with
Clause 52.06 'Car Parking' to support added intensity of uses within each centre.
2.2.2. Other Strategic Documents
Bayside Housing Strategy 2012
The Bayside Housing Strategy 2012 identifies housing growth areas across Bayside, including the
MACs, and plans for growth over the next twenty years. A key objective is that car parking and
traffic will not be dominant within activity centres and will have minimal impact on the function
and aesthetics of activity centres, particularly at a pedestrian scale. The Church Street MAC is
identified as a key focus residential growth area in the residential strategic framework plan. This
plan provides a framework for balanced development and sustainable land use in Bayside and
shows where housing growth will be focused.
Bayside Integrated Transport Strategy 2013
The Bayside Integrated Transport Strategy 2013 sets out Council’s direction for transport
planning, and the provision of transport services to 2023 and beyond. A key principle is the
promotion of sustainable modes of transport, such as walking and cycling for local trips. The
Strategy follows the work from the Church Street Centre Structure Plan 2006 in approaching
pedestrian and cycling networks and parking management principles. The preparation of a Car
Parking Strategy for the municipality is a key recommendation of the Strategy.
Bayside Bicycle Strategy 2013
The Bayside Bicycle Strategy 2013 sets Council’s direction for the development of the bicycle
network within the municipality and identifies Council’s position in encouraging and supporting
more cycling within the Bayside community. The strategy seeks to improve bicycle infrastructure
across Bayside, particularly where short trips (1-2 kms) can be encouraged via cycling rather
than private motor vehicle travel. It presents strategies towards an integrated approach to
cycling with land use and development and ways to develop a cycling culture in Bayside.
Bayside Walking Strategy 2015
The Walking Strategy 2015 prioritises the needs of the older community, people with disabilities
and people with young children. The main focus of the Strategy is to create safe, comfortable
and inviting places to experience walking. The aims of the strategy include increasing the
number of people who choose to walk, which can potentially reduce the future car parking
demand. The support for walking in Bayside will have major implications on the demand for
parking in activity centres.
Public Transport Advocacy Statement 2013
The role of the Public Transport Advocacy Statement is to ensure Council has a clear, justified
position around what improvements are required to the public transport system in Bayside to
achieve its transport vision. This is vital to the advocacy role Council plays in advocating to other
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agencies for deliverable improvements for the transport needs of Bayside residents and visitors.
The Public Transport Advocacy Statement is currently being updated.
Beach Road Corridor Strategy 2011
The Beach Road Corridor Strategy 2011 identifies and prioritises a range of actions that will
improve the overall safety for all users of Beach Road with a particular emphasis on motorists,
cyclists and pedestrians. Key objectives of the Strategy in the context of transportation in Church
Street are to improve the management of traffic issues and facilitate safer movement of
vehicles, pedestrians, cyclists and other users.
Church Street Centre Structure Plan 2006
The Church Street Centre Structure Plan 2006 sets the vision for the Church Street MAC. The
Centre will be known for its high quality retail and dining, with a vibrant street life and
community feel. The centre will be readily accessible with transport options located
conveniently, and will retain its open and leafy village character making it a focus of local retail
and social activity. The Structure Plan includes a number of transport and access
recommendations for the centre. A key recommendation in relation to access is to encourage
public transport use, cycling and walking, while introducing some traffic management measures
to improve safety, traffic flow and amenity.
Church Street Structure Plan Review 2016
The Church Street Structure Plan review considers the effectiveness of Council in achieving the
vision of the Structure Plan and updates the vision to have regard to the policy changes and
development trends since the Structure Plan was prepared. The Review makes
recommendations on the future implementation of the objectives of the Structure Plans. A key
recommendation is the preparation of a Car Parking Plan for the centre, an action which was
completed as part of the development of the Structure Plan however due to the considerable
change in the centre over time, a new Car Parking Plan is required.
Church Street Infrastructure Management Plan 2009
This plan is a management plan for existing street infrastructure and not a masterplan for new
works. The intent of the plan is to retain the existing street layout, function and character while
guiding the staged upgrade of existing street infrastructure. The key objectives include:
Staged replacement of damaged footpaths;
Repair and replacement of damaged and degraded street furniture;
Modifications to pavements to accommodate future root growth for existing trees;
Removal of unsustainable trees; and
Infill planting to improve street amenity.
Retail, Commercial and Employment Strategy 2016
The Retail, Commercial and Employment Strategy 2016 will ultimately provide a vision for the
future of Bayside’s employment lands. It will help guide future investment, development,
programs and re-zoning applications. The draft Strategy highlights key demographic trends and
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policy framework which will influence the development of the activity centres so that a clear and
informed future direction can be formed. The development of the Strategy included an analysis
of the existing commercial floorspace and the expected future demand which has been used to
estimate future car parking demand.
Managing On-Street Car Parking Policy and Procedure
The intent of this Policy is to provide consistent and transparent guidance for the introduction of
new parking restrictions in areas where on-street car parking may be causing a road safety
hazard or where on-street car parking spaces are in high demand and this has resulted in car
parking congestion. The needs for all road users are considered based on a hierarchy of road
users on the type of street type, such as residential, business or commercial, and this guides the
type and extent of restrictions required. For example within the residential areas of activity
centres, in the first instance, restrictions are implemented on one side of the street only. This
provides a balance between long term and short term car parking availability. This policy is
currently under review and available for public comment.
Residential Parking Permit Policy
The objective of the Residential Parking Permit Policy is to provide residents and their visitors
with a reasonable likelihood of finding car parking in close proximity to their homes, while
acknowledging the needs of other road users. Demand for parking is already high in areas close
to Activity Centres, commercial centres, shopping centres and train stations. Residents in these
areas, particularly those who have limited access to private off-street car parking, have to
compete with all road users for the available on-street spaces. Currently, particular residents of
activity centres are provided on-street parking permits for up to three vehicles, which exempt
eligible vehicles, including visitors from time restrictions of one hour or longer in designated
residential streets. However there are a number of exclusions to the scheme, such as multi-unit
developments built after July 2007, shop-top dwellings and business related properties. These
properties are ineligible for receiving residential permits however this is proposed to be changed
in a draft review currently available for public comment.
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3. CHURCH STREET MAJOR ACTIVITY CENTRE DEMOGRAPHIC PROFILE This section of the reports provides a high level summary of the church Street Activity Centre having
regard to 2011 Census data. It is noted that the census data does not correspond exactly to the
activity centre boundaries due to the number of households required to estimate modelling, and the
boundaries of statistical areas not providing for a clear analysis. It is considered that the numbers
provide an acceptable estimate of the trends and patterns emerging through the activity centre for
the purpose of the development of a Car Parking Plan.
Population
The population of Church Street Major Activity Centre in 2011 was 1,979, living in 937 dwellings
with an average household size of 2.36 people. An analysis of the different age groups of the
Centre in 2011 compared to Greater Melbourne shows that there was a lower proportion of
people in the younger age groups (0 to 17 years) and a higher proportion of people in the older
age groups (60+ years). Overall, 19.9% of the population in the Church Street MAC was aged
between 0 and 17, and 29.1% were aged 60 years and over, compared with 22.2% and 18.2%
respectively for Greater Melbourne. From 2006 to 2011, Church Street Major Activity Centre's
population increased by 53 people (2.8%). This represents an average annual population change
of 0.54% per year over the period. The largest change in the age structure in this area between
2006 and 2011 was in the empty nesters and retirees age group (age 60-69) with an additional
107 people.
Dwelling densities
The last Census recorded a total of 932 dwellings in the Church Street Activity Centre. This
included 350 separate houses, 350 medium density dwellings, and 36 high density dwellings.
When these numbers are broken down as percentages, the following rates were found: 58.4% of
all dwellings were separate houses; 37.5% were medium density dwellings, and 3.9% were in
high density dwellings. These results varied from those of Greater Melbourne where a larger
proportion, or approximately 72% were separate houses. The total number of dwellings in
Church Street Major Activity Centre increased by 33 between 2006 and 2011. The largest
changes in the type of dwellings found in the Centre were that the number of separate houses
increased by 64 dwellings and the number of medium density decreased by 58 dwellings.
Method of travel to work
In the Church Street Activity Centre 66 people rode their bike or walked to work in 2011. A larger
percentage (17.6%) of persons travelled by train to work compared to less than 10% in Greater
Melbourne. However, more than 50% of persons were recorded as travelling by car (as driver) to
work.
Car ownership
The analysis of car ownership in 2011, indicates 49% of households in Church Street Major
Activity Centre had access to two or more motor vehicles, compared to 51% in Greater
Melbourne.
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3.1. Household Type
Church Street Major Activity Centre's household and family structure is one of the most important
demographic indicators. It reveals the area's residential role and function, era of settlement and
provides key insights into the level of demand for services and facilities as most are related to age
and household types.
Table 1: Household and family structure
Household type
Church Street Major
Activity Centre 2011 2006
Change
Households by type Number % Greater
Melbourne % Number %
Greater
Melbourne %
2006 to
2011
Couples with
children 234 28.6 33.6 243 30.7 33.5 -8
Couples without
children 230 28.0 23.5 183 23.2 22.9 +46
One parent families 66 8.0 10.4 53 6.7 10.4 +13
Other families 5 0.6 1.4 6 0.8 1.4 -1
Group household 25 3.1 4.5 31 3.9 4.2 -6
Lone person 220 26.8 22.3 235 29.7 22.5 -15
Other not
classifiable
household
31 3.8 3.4 27 3.4 4.3 +5
Visitor only
households 9 1.1 0.9 13 1.7 0.7 -4
Total households 820 100.0 100.0 791 100.0 100.0 +30
Source: ABS Census (Enumerated data)
The number of household types in Church Street Major Activity Centre are shown in Table 1. There
was an increase in the total number of households by 30 between 2006 and 2011. The largest
change in family/household types in the Centre between 2006 and 2011 was in couples without
children up by 46 households.
3.2. Dwelling Structure
As illustrated in Table 2 below there were 546 separate houses in the area, 350 medium density
dwellings, and 36 high density dwellings. Analysis of the types of dwellings in Church Street Major
Activity Centre in 2011 shows that 58.4% of all dwellings were separate houses; 37.5% were medium
density dwellings, and 3.9% were in high density dwellings, compared with 71.1%, 21.1%, and 7.2%
in the Greater Melbourne respectively. The largest change in the type of dwellings found in Church
Street Major Activity Centre between 2006 and 2011 was in separate houses of an increase of 64
dwellings and in medium density houses which decreased by 58 dwellings.
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Table 2: Dwelling type
Dwelling structure
Church Street
Major Activity
Centre
2011 2006
Change
Dwelling type Number % Greater
Melbourne % Number %
Greater
Melbourne %
2006 to
2011
Separate house 546 58.4 71.1 482 53.5 71.6 +64
Medium density 350 37.5 21.1 408 45.3 21.5 -58
High density 36 3.9 7.2 0 0.0 6.3 +36
Caravans, cabin,
houseboat 0 0.0 0.2 0 0.0 0.3 0
Other 0 0.0 0.3 10 1.1 0.3 -10
Not stated 2 0.3 0.0 0 0.0 0.0 +2
Total Private
Dwellings 935 100.0 100.0 900 100.0 100.0 +35
Source: ABS Census (Enumerated data)
3.3. Car ownership
Analysis of car ownership of the households in Church Street Major Activity Centre is shown below in
Table 3. It shows that 82.8% of the households owned at least one car, while 10.9% did not,
compared with 84.8% and 9.0% respectively in Greater Melbourne.
Table 3: Number of cars per household
Source: ABS Census (Enumerated data)
Of the households in Church Street Activity Centre that owned at least one vehicle, there was a
larger proportion who owned just one car; a large proportion who owned two cars; and a smaller
proportion who owned three cars or more. Overall, 38.8% of the households owned one car; 38.7%
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owned two cars; and 10.6% owned three cars or more, compared with 33.9%; 35.5% and 15.4%
respectively for Greater Melbourne.
There were no major differences in Church Street Major Activity Centre between 2006 and 2011.
3.4. Ageing population
Analysis of the five year age groups in Church Street Activity Centre is shown below in Table 4. The
results show that there was a lower proportion of people in the younger age groups (under 15) and a
higher proportion of people in the older age groups (65+) compared with Greater Melbourne.
Overall, 16.2% of the population was aged between 0 and 15, and 23.8% were aged 65 years and
over, compared with 18.5% and 13.1% respectively for Greater Melbourne.
Source: ABS Census (Enumerated data)
In the Census periods, the population increased by 52 people (2.6%). This represents an average
annual population change of 0.51% per year over the period. Analysis of the five year age groups of
Church Street Major Activity Centre in 2011 compared to Greater Melbourne shows that there was a
lower proportion of people in the younger age groups (under 15) and a higher proportion of people
in the older age groups (65+). The largest change in the age structure in this area was an increase in
the empty nesters and retirees (60 to 69) age group of an additional 61 people.
3.5. Method of travel to work
Church Street Major Activity Centre's commuting statistics reveal the main modes of transport by
which residents get to work. There are a number of reasons why people use different modes of
transport to get to work including the availability of affordable and effective public transport
options, the number of motor vehicles available within a household, and the distance travelled to
work.
Table 4: Age structure – Five year age groups
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Table 5: Method of travel to work
Method of travel to work
Church Street Major
Activity Centre -
(Enumerated)
2011 2006
Change
Main method of travel Number % Greater
Melbourne % Number %
Greater
Melbourne %
2006 to
2011
Train 167 17.6 9.8 139 16.1 8.4 +28
Bus 0 0.0 1.5 8 1.0 1.2 -8
Tram or Ferry 0 0.0 2.2 0 0.0 2.0 0
Taxi 0 0.0 0.2 0 0.0 0.2 0
Car - as driver 500 52.5 59.7 472 54.5 60.4 +28
Car - as passenger 20 2.1 4.3 23 2.6 4.6 -3
Truck 0 0.0 0.7 0 0.0 0.9 0
Motorbike 3 0.3 0.4 0 0.0 0.5 +3
Bicycle 15 1.6 1.3 9 1.1 1.1 +5
Walked only 51 5.3 2.9 40 4.6 3.0 +11
Other 9 0.9 1.0 1 0.1 0.9 +8
Worked at home 89 9.3 3.6 71 8.2 3.6 +18
Did not go to work 93 9.7 9.2 91 10.5 10.0 +1
Not stated 6 0.7 1.5 12 1.3 1.9 -5
Total employed
persons aged 15+ 952 100.0 100.0 866 100.0 100.0 +85
Source: ABS Census (Enumerated data)
Table 5 shows there were 167 people who caught public transport to work (train, bus or tram) in
Church Street Major Activity Centre, compared with 523 who drove in private vehicles (car – as
driver, car – as passenger, motorbike, or truck).
Analysis of the method of travel to work of the residents in Church Street Major Activity Centre in
2011, compared to Greater Melbourne, shows that 17.6% used public transport, while 54.9% used a
private vehicle, compared with 13.6% and 65.1% respectively in Greater Melbourne.
The major differences in persons between the method of travel to work of Church Street Major
Activity Centre and Greater Melbourne were:
A larger percentage of persons who travelled by train (17.6% compared to 9.8%)
A larger percentage of persons who worked at home (9.3% compared to 3.6%)
A larger percentage of persons who walked only (5.3% compared to 2.9%)
A smaller percentage of persons who travelled by car (as driver) (52.5% compared to 59.7%.
The number of employed people in Church Street Major Activity Centre increased by 86 between
2006 and 2011. There were no major differences in terms of journey to work in Church Street Major
Activity Centre between 2006 and 2011.
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3.6. Forecast population growth
Although the population projections provided here are for the whole municipality, this information
is useful to show a broader overview on growth in the area more generally. It is recognised this
growth will contribute to the activity in Church Street and impact upon car parking demand.
As shown in Table 6 the City of Bayside population forecast for 2016 is 103,110. This is forecast to
grow to 115,452 by 2031 at an estimated growth rate of approximately 12%. The greatest
population change for the City of Bayside is forecast for the period from 2017 to 2021, which is
expected to have a net increase of 7,132 people.
In 2011, the total population of the City of Bayside was estimated to be 96,119 people. It is expected
to increase by over 19,333 people to 115,452 by 2031, at an average annual growth rate of 5.26%.
This is based on an increase of over 9,600 households during the period, with the average number of
persons per household falling from 2.59 to 2.48 by 2031.
Table 6: Forecast age structure - 5 year age groups
Forecast age structure - 5 year age groups
City of Bayside - Total
persons 2011 2016 2031 Change between 2011
and 2031
Age group (years) Number % Number % Number % Number
0 to 4 5,771 6.0 5,649 5.5 6,173 5.3 +402
5 to 9 6,632 6.9 6,872 6.7 6,896 6.0 +264
10 to 14 6,100 6.3 7,090 6.9 7,076 6.1 +976
15 to 19 6,055 6.3 6,413 6.2 7,024 6.1 +969
20 to 24 5,472 5.7 5,612 5.4 6,375 5.5 +903
25 to 29 3,841 4.0 4,665 4.5 5,352 4.6 +1,511
30 to 34 4,063 4.2 4,616 4.5 5,546 4.8 +1,483
35 to 39 6,267 6.5 6,186 6.0 7,020 6.1 +753
40 to 44 7,911 8.2 7,904 7.7 8,218 7.1 +307
45 to 49 7,633 7.9 8,252 8.0 8,308 7.2 +675
50 to 54 7,321 7.6 7,585 7.4 7,959 6.9 +638
55 to 59 6,338 6.6 6,929 6.7 7,433 6.4 +1,095
60 to 64 5,873 6.1 6,035 5.9 6,904 6.0 +1,031
65 to 69 4,685 4.9 5,599 5.4 6,265 5.4 +1,580
70 to 74 3,357 3.5 4,444 4.3 5,725 5.0 +2,368
75 to 79 2,737 2.8 3,180 3.1 4,951 4.3 +2,214
80 to 84 2,761 2.9 2,556 2.5 4,110 3.6 +1,349
85 and over 3,302 3.4 3,523 3.4 4,117 3.6 +815
Total persons 96,119 100.0 103,110 100.0 115,452 100.0 +19,333
Source: ABS Census (Enumerated data)
The most significant demographic change over the 2016 to 2026 period is going to be the growth in
the population of seniors aged 70-84 years. The population of seniors will increase by nearly 3,500 in
ten years, a growth of approximately 35%.
17
3.7. Economic growth
Church Street can be considered as one of the most successful examples of a suburban activity
centre in Metropolitan Melbourne. The MAC is anchored by two supermarkets totalling 3,000sqm of
floorspace. By modern standards this only just meets the floorspace criterion of a full line
supermarket. Nonetheless the presence of both major chains is important to customer choice in the
centre. Church Street’s current vacancy rate of around 1% percent (effectively nothing) in tough
economic conditions would indicate this centre has significant potential for floorspace expansion.
However this should not compromise Church Street’s compact form.
Church Street benefits from a strong sense of place with good amenity, so this centre is unlikely to
require significant intervention in the near future.
Future opportunities for this centre include:
Support residential development to increase density and consolidate the catchment.
Incremental 'shop top' development.
Continue to improve streetscape.
Support regeneration/redevelopment of retail frontages, given some appear dated.
Long term opportunities exist to attract smaller/niche office uses to areas with aesthetic
appeal and good amenity.
Look to encourage health businesses to establish at the western end of the Street.
The retail demand forecast for Church Street Activity Centre towards 2031 is shown in Table 7
below. The commercial demand forecast is shown in Table 8 below.
Table 7: Retail Demand Forecast Projections
2014 2021 2031
Store Type RTD* Current
Supply
Demand Expansion
Need
Demand Expansion
Need
Demand Expansion
Need
Supermarket
& Grocery $10,800 2,962 3,200 200 3,500 600 3,700 700
Speciality –
Food & Drink $7,200 2,198 2,300 100 2,400 200 2,500 300
Speciality –
Non food $6,600 16,808 18,200 1,400 19,800 3,000 20,800 4,000
Hospitality $5,800 5,948 6,700 700 7,200 1,300 7,600 1,600
Total 27,916 30,400 2,500 33,000 5,000 34,600 6,700
Source: SGS Economics and Planning 2015, Bayside City Council
*Retail turnover density
Table 8: Commercial Floorspace Forecast
Year Commercial
Employment
Estimated Supply
(m2)
Floorspace
Required (m2)
Expansion Need
2014 653 9,752
2021 683 9,752 10,200 400
2031 780 9,752 11,200 1,500
Source: SGS Economics and Planning 2015, Bayside City Council
18
There is growth projected over the next 15 years. In line with this, commercial and retail
development generates a demand for car parking to facilitate operation of the business activities.
Floorspace projections for retail and commercial have been used to indicate the potential demand
for car parking for the next 15 years.
Table 9: Projected parking demand for commercial and office
Commercial floorspace projected demand
Year Demand (m2) # of Car Parking Spaces
Required
Number of car parks
2014 9,752 3.5 per 100m2 341
2021 10,200 3.5 per 100m2 357
2031 11,200 3.5 per 100m2 392
Source: SGS Economics Major Activity Centre Review 2015
Table 10: Projected parking demand for retail/shop
Retail floorspace projected demand
Year Demand (m2) # of Car Parking Spaces
Required
Number of car parks
2014 30,400 4 per 100m2 1,216
2021 33,000 4 per 100m2 1,320
2031 34,600 4 per 100m2 1,384
Source: SGS Economics Major Activity Centre Review 2015
Based on the retail and commercial floorspace projections for the years 2021 and 2031 as shown in
the above tables, a basic estimate of future car parking needs can be made. The required car parking
rates of the planning scheme have been adopted in calculating the forecast number of car spaces
required. It is assumed that all retail floor space will be located on ground floor and all office
floorspace above ground floor. Given the limited capacity for additional parking to be provided in
the public realm, new development would need to provide its onsite car parking requirements in
order to ensure needs are met. There may be a level of modal shift however this is difficult to
quantify for an area such as Church Street MAC, where there has been limited evidence based on
2011 Census data.
As the current amount of on-street parking supply is considered to remain constant, the projected
demand for parking in the centre will need to be accommodated in other more sustainable transport
options. Given that a portion of future parking will naturally be located on certain development
sites, it is anticipated that future car parking demands could be accommodated on site or within
existing public on-street and off-street vacancies.
While it is acknowledged that in some isolated areas car parking may reach capacity, parking
supplies within peripheral areas can support the generated demands. However consideration could
be given to opportunities to reclassify existing underutilised spaces to accommodate the extensions
of high demand.
In addition, should parking demands reach capacity, particularly within the inner core, this would be
expected to encourage a shift in travel mode away from the private car supporting the key
objectives of encouraging a shift toward more environmental modes of travel that are healthier and
safer.
19
3.8. Projected demand for car parking based on forecasts for dwellings
There is expected growth in the number of dwellings in the activity centre in the future, as shown in
Table 11 below. There is an anticipated increase of an additional 343 dwellings, amounting to
approximately 1,512 dwellings by the year 2030. For the reasons outlined below, it is not anticipated
this increase in dwellings will impact upon the on-street car parking demand for the Church Street
Activity Centre:
It has been assumed that all new mixed use and residential developments within the MAC
will provide all residential parking on site rather than relying on public parking such as on-
street parking;
While it may be appropriate to reduce the car parking requirements for new dwellings, such
approvals should be coupled with appropriate on-street parking restrictions to ensure new
residents cannot park (for long periods) on-street to allow vehicle turnover. This may also
assist in ensuring reduced car ownership for activity centre residents;
Future residents may not be afforded the ability to obtain a Resident Parking Permit;
The influence of an increasing use of public transport and active travel modes (cycling and
walking) or not travelling at all in some cases; and
Ultimately a reduction in car ownership for residents living in the activity centre.
Therefore residential growth has not been included as part of the future car parking demand
projections for the activity centre.
Table 11: Dwelling forecast for Church Street MAC towards 2030
Source: City of Bayside forecast.id
*Less future additional dwellings for the area outside MAC boundary but within forecast.id boundary.
Area 2014
Existing dwellings *
Housing Yield 2030 Forecast dwelling
growth 2014-2030
Church Street
Activity Centre (using
Activity Centre
boundary)
1,169
1,512
343
20
4. EXISTING CAR PARKING CONDITIONS Car parking in Church Street Major Activity Centre is provided both on and off-street and comprises
a variety of different types of parking. The time limits vary from drop-in, short-term, medium-term
and long-term or unrestricted.
The primary car parking activity across the centre is predominantly around Middle Brighton Railway
Station and the commercial areas predominantly located along Church Street. The residential
precinct considered within this report extends to Wilson Street in the north-east, Halifax Street in
the south-east and New Street in the west.
Figure 1: Extent of car parking restrictions in Church Street Major Activity Centre
DROP-IN SHORT MEDIUM LONG
P2 MIN
P5 MIN
1/4 P
1P
2P
3P4 HOUR +
21
4.1. Types of parking users
Church Street Activity Centre contains a wide variety of land use anchored around the Middle
Brighton Railway Station. As a result, the needs and requirements for parking in terms of duration of
stay vary depending on trip purpose. People who require a parking space within the Church Street
Activity Centre generally fall within the following categories: residents, local employees, rail
passengers and visitors.
RESIDENTS
VISITORS
LOCAL
EMPLOYEES
RAIL
PASSENGERS
DROP –IN DROP –IN
DROP –IN
MEDIUM
SHORT
SHORT
MEDIUM
LONG
MEDIUM MEDIUM
LONG
LONG LONG
4.2. Current parking supply and restrictions
A survey was undertaken in 2014 to determine the car parking demand based on the supply and
user needs during peak periods on weekdays and Saturdays. A summary of the results is provided in
Table 12.
Table 12: Car parking supply and restrictions as at 2014
Location Total
capacity
P 2
mins
P 5
mins
1/4P 1P 2P 3P 4P Unrestricted
Weekday
On-street 1629 16 2 11 170 674 19 90 647
Off-street car parks 459 0 0
1 0 293 0 40 125
Total parking 1963 16 2 12 170 934 19 130 680
Saturday
On-street 1654 0 2 15 170 467 0 0 1000
Off-street car parks 459 0 0 1 0 293 0 40 125
Total parking 2113 0 2 16 170 727 0 40 1158
Source: Aurecon 2014
22
4.3. Capacity limits
The surveyed results for the weekday peaks found that, generally there is sufficient supply.
However, there are some areas within the activity centre which are experiencing higher levels of
demand during peak times.
Weekdays
The 2014 peak occurs at 2.00pm at
approximately 70% occupancy;
Off-street car parking occupancy rates
are generally higher compared to on-
street;
The short term (two hour restriction
and under) car parking along Church
Street between New Street and Male
Street are also over 90% occupied
through the day;
The survey results indicate that the
Coles Well Street, Carpenter Street
and Church Street car parks are over
90% occupied generally through the
day.
Saturdays
The peak parking occupancy rate for
2014 occurs at 2.00pm at
approximately 66% occupancy;
Wilson Street and Male Street are
showing occupancy rates at above
90%. It is noted that at the time of the
survey, well utilised areas of Wilson
and Male Streets are generally
unrestricted;
The profile is similar to that of the
weekday profile in that the lowest
demand occurs at 07:00am, increases
at 11:00am, peaks at 2:00pm and
then decreases to similar levels at
5:00pm and 8:00pm.
Other observations
The short term (two hour restriction and under) car parking along Church Street between
New Street and Male Street is also over 90% occupied through the day;
The profile is similar to the weekday profile in that the lowest demand occurs in the
morning, increases at through the day and then decreases in the evening.
High demand
Train station long-term capacity;
One hour weekday on-street
restricted parking;
4 hour weekday off-street occupancy;
Unrestricted parking in residential
streets.
Low demand
The 3 and 4 hour parking on
weekdays is the lowest utilisation at
between 46% and 47% occupancies;
The on-street 5 and 15 minute parking
on weekends has the lowest
utilisation at 0% and 47% respectively.
4.4. Summary of key findings from parking survey
Based on parking surveys, it is apparent that peak parking demands occurred at 11am and 2pm
during the week and Saturday survey periods respectively. Peak occupancy during these times was
observed to be 70% during the weekday peak and 67% during the Saturday peak.
In terms of future commercial growth, the surveys indicated that parking in the more commercially
focused areas along Church Street was operating at close to 85% occupancy, traditionally considered
to represent peak efficiency. As a result of this relatively high existing demand, additional parking
23
demands generated by new development would increase pressure on the performance of existing
commercial supplies and ultimately, if no on-site parking is provided result in commercial parking
supplies being over capacity. It is important to note that the traffic surveys and initial assessment
covered a smaller area than that defined as the activity centre boundary in the Structure Plan. This
background study adopted the activity centre boundary specified in the Structure Plan as it aligns
more closely with the Structure Plan review project. The Car Parking Strategy to be prepared will
identify and provide advice on the parking pressures for residential areas close to activity centres
beyond any actions from the draft Car Parking Plan.
The survey results highlight the importance of better managing parking within the MAC to increase
availability and turnover of parking in the ‘core area’ and retail areas at peak times of the year.
4.5. Public Transport data on Middle Brighton train station patronage
Population growth, road congestion, petrol price rises and more environmental awareness are
reasons why people are turning to public transport. Public Transport Victoria’s Network
Development Plan 2012 report found there had been a 70 per cent increase in those catching trains
in the last decade, 40 per cent of which was in a five-year period between 2007 and 2012.
It is understood that commuter parking is of major concern around the Church Street Activity
Centre, especially to residents, as it impacts upon unrestricted residential parking. As such, to
estimate the amount of commuter parking that is potentially currently being occupied, 2014 survey
results and 2012 Public Transport Victoria (PTV) Estimated Station Entries at Metropolitan Stations
data were assessed.
Weekday entries for Middle Brighton Railway Station were obtained from the Public Transport
Victoria: Estimated Station Entries at Metropolitan Stations (2012). Based on this information,
entries into the Middle Brighton Railway Station from 2011-12 were considered to be relatively
consistent with a slight increase of approximately 2% annual growth. These estimated entries were
extrapolated to the current financial year and are shown in Table 13. Middle Brighton Station
weekday entries.
From an overall increase of approximately 20% between 2008 and 2013, a growth rate of
approximately 4% per annum is adopted in order to estimate the train station patronage. This is
considered to be a ‘business as usual’ approach towards the future.
Table 13: Middle Brighton Station weekday entries
Financial Year Number of weekday
entries
Difference Percentage change Average Weekly
Entries
2008-09 1,820 10,640
2009-10 1,960 +140 +7.69 11,400
2010-11 1,990 +30 +1.53% 11,610
2011-12 1,920 -70 -3.52% 11,200
2012-13 Not available Not available Not available Not available
2013-14 2,240 +320 +16.67% 13,340
2014-2015 (est) 2,329 +89 +4 -
2015-2016 (est) 2,422 +93 +4 -
Source: Public Transport Victoria (PTV) Estimated Station Entries at Metropolitan Stations
24
Of the 2,240 weekday entries in 2013-14, more than 45.98% (1,030) of these occurred during the
morning peak between 7.00am and 9.30am. When this information is extrapolated into the current
financial year, it is estimated that the demand for commuter parking during the morning peak is
approximately 2,000 entries (45.98% of 4,350). This is an increase of 970 entries to the morning peak
period on weekdays. This includes a variety of travel methods to the station as shown below.
Table 14: The proportional weekday entries by access mode
Mode 2013-14
Number of entries
Percentage 2014-15
Est. entries
Increase in
entries
between
2013-15
2015-16
Est. entries
Bus 139 6.2% 145 +12 151
Cycle 30 1.3% 31 +2 32
Motor vehicle 559 25% 581 +45 604
Walking 1,403 62.7% 1,459 +114 1,517
Other 109 4.9% 113 +9 118
Total 2,240 100% 2329 +182 2422
Source: Public Transport Victoria (PTV) Estimated Station Entries at Metropolitan Stations
The projected patronages for Middle Brighton station are provided in Table 14. The proportional
weekday entries by access mode. This information implies that the remaining unrestricted on-street
parking close to the Railway Station is likely to be occupied by commuters from early times in the
morning. This would strongly support the expansion of time restrictions within the entire activity
centre. This will ensure the available on-street parking is reserved for the activity centre patrons and
visitors and not occupied by long term uses such as train station passengers.
Council acknowledges that there are challenges in the provision of car parking at railway stations
which have a high demand, particularly at railway stations adjacent to major shopping centres.
Although the provision of car parking facilities at railway stations are the responsibility of the rail
operator, Council strives to balance the competing demands of drivers seeking to find adequate
parking by installing a variety of on-street parking restrictions, including areas to facilitate short-term
parking.
It is considered that the provision of improved bus connections to train stations and better end of
trip facilities, such as secure bicycle parking at stations would assist in providing passengers with
greater choice in terms of how they travel to train stations, thus assisting in alleviating some of the
parking pressures currently experienced around train stations. Council has identified public transport
advocacy actions in the Public Transport Advocacy Statement. This document contains measures
aimed at improving accessibility to train stations within Bayside, these measures will ultimately
assist in reducing car parking demand. The influences on parking demand are explored in detail in
the options section.
4.6. Train station patronage fact sheet for 2013-2014
Morning peak patronage at Middle Brighton is 1,030 people per day (7.00am -9.30am);
25
Morning peak patronage (2+hrs) accounts for 45.98% of total daily boardings (1,030/2,240);
There were 88 entries pre 7.00am peak time; and
Of the 2,240 total weekday entries, 559 of passengers arrived by car (25%) compared with
139 (6.2%) on the bus.
26
5. COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT / ISSUES IDENTIFICATION Despite more than a decade of Council policies designed to discourage car use in Bayside; including
not issuing residential parking permits to multi-unit developments built after 2007; the number of
households with at least one vehicle increased from 86.2% to 88.6% between 2006 and 2011.
This is in large part due to the popularity of the south east as a place to live. Bayside attracted more
than 6,000 new residents between 2001 and 2011. With population forecasts in 2015 predicting
Bayside’s population to top 112,000 by 2031, it is clear that managing the demand for parking will
continue to be one of Council’s greatest challenges.
Since the parking survey conducted in 2014, there have been some changes which may have
resulted in a change in demand for long-term parking near the Middle Brighton Railway Station. For
example, since the public transport fare restructure in 2015, it is understood commuters from the
southern part of the municipality are no longer driving to Zone 1 railway stations such as Middle
Brighton, to minimise the cost of travel. This restructure has afforded train passengers the same
ticket price travelling from Hampton and Sandringham stations as if travelling from Middle Brighton
station. It is anticipated this has now eased some of the pressure on long-term parking in the centre.
Conversely, the commencement of the level crossing removal works on the Frankston railway line at
Bentleigh, McKinnon and Ormond Stations has resulted in further pressure being placed on the
already constrained supply of commuter parking close to the Sandringham line as commuters who
would normally use the Frankston line seek to avoid the service disruptions by changing to the
Sandringham line. The service disruptions on the Frankston line are currently planned up until late
2016. Further level crossing removal works are also proposed in future years for the Frankston line
at Cheltenham, Mentone, Edithvale, Bonbeach, Carrum, Seaford and Frankston Stations. It is
anticipated that the works at Cheltenham and Mentone Stations will continue to impact on
commuter parking pressure close to the Sandringham line.
Providing car parking to satisfy the demands of all road users is one of the biggest challenges faced
by Council. Increasing intensification of development in the municipality, changing travel habits,
pressures to maintain amenity and ongoing issues surrounding the rail fee structure have led to a
decrease in the availability of on-street parking. Council is committed to providing residents and
their visitors with a reasonable likelihood of parking in close proximity to their home, while
preserving access for other road users in areas of high on-street parking demand.
5.1. Consultation / Feedback
In areas of regular high parking demand, such as activity centres and residential streets within the
vicinity of railway stations and activity centres, balancing the provision of on-street parking to satisfy
all road users is a difficult challenge. As competition for on-street car parking increases, Council
needs to balance the competing demands of all road users to provide a reasonable likelihood of
finding parking in close proximity to their destination.
5.2. Community comments concerning car parking
The feedback received during the community consultation exercise undertaken in late 2014
highlights the difficulties in balance the competing demand for parking, particularly in relation to
short-term and long-term demand.
27
RESIDENTS RAIL PASSENGERS
Commuters parking in residential
streets is not appropriate
More long-term parking should be
provided at strain station
Inappropriate time restrictions i.e.
more 5-15 min parking on Church St
Lack of commuter parking after
8.00am
2 hour restrictions difficult for families
and visitors in Church Street
2 hour parking in vicinity of station
generally not used needs reducing
Insufficient parking new apartments In favour of paid multi-storey parking
Need better enforcement More bicycle parking needed
Overactive enforcement and parking
difficulties impacts customer retention
Changes in restrictions have favoured
shoppers over commuters
Permit parking is needed
LOCAL EMPLOYEES VISITORS
Lack of medium-long term parking More public carparks required
Need dedicated parking for employees Poor signage/ way finding
Parking problems intensified with
more apartments
Unit developments should have visitor
parking on-site
Parking difficult in Church Street Lack of visitor parking in study area
Traders need to be accommodated Street parking is lacking
No parking fees, not helpful to trade Does not shop or visit this precinct as
it is too difficult to park
28
5.3. Summary of Key Issues Identified
Car parking is a limited resource and there are competing demands between user groups in terms of
the need for specified time requirements. The following is a summary of some of the key issues
which were raised:
There is an imbalance of short to long-term parking (with both identified as priority);
Different commercial uses had different expectations for short term spaces, with high
turnover uses (bakeries, newsagencies and similar) seeking more 15 minute restrictions near
their premises, with other longer term uses (hairdresser, offices) seeking 1-2 hour
restrictions;
Perceptions in inadequate time restrictions in the main area are leading to spill over into
residential areas, including weekends;
Rail passengers and traders parking in residential areas, impacting residents ability to take
advantage of on-street parking close to their homes;
Inappropriate time restrictions i.e. more 5-15 minute parking is needed on Church Street;
Insufficient parking in new apartments including the ability for visitors to park on site;
More commuter car parking should be provided close to the railway station;
Council should develop a multi deck car park in the centre; and
Inadequate parking enforcement (with underactive and overactive being raised as a key
priority).
29
6. OPTIONS FOR MANAGING SUPPLY AND DEMAND Bayside, like all of Melbourne, is facing a future of change and our transport system must be flexible
and resilient enough to adapt. In order to guide the development of the parking plan a set of
objectives in relation to parking from background transport policy documents have been considered.
The key documented objectives in the Church Street Centre Structure Plan and Integrated Transport
Strategy 2013 which can be adopted for the parking plan are outlined below:
Provide a safe environment, particularly for vulnerable road users such as pedestrians, cyclists
and people accessing public transport;
Appropriately manage through traffic within the Centre;
Provide and manage car parking to meet the needs of residents, retailers and other local
activities;
Improve the safety and appearance of laneway connections and off-street car parks;
Encourage improvements to public transport services and connections;
Provide access for pedestrians with all levels of mobility;
Establish a network of priority pedestrian routes integrating the main shopping areas with
surrounding car parking areas, public transport, residential areas and other attractions; and
Improve bicycle routes and facilities in and around the Centre.
Particularly related to car parking, the Structure Plan identifies the following strategies:
Provide an additional car parking facility over the existing parking lots located on the corner of
Carpenter and Black Street and off the north side of Well Street, between Carpenter Street and
the railway line, to provide between 120 and 160 additional car spaces;
Maintain existing numbers of public parking spaces and ensure that any new development
provides appropriate numbers of additional parking spaces in accordance with the Church Street
Parking Precinct Plan to support added intensity of uses in the Centre;
Ensure new residential units provide adequate off-street car parking in accordance with the
Planning Scheme requirements;
Improve the management of current on and off-street car park restrictions as recommended in
the Parking Precinct Plan;
Improve the safety for pedestrians moving between off street car parks and Church Street;
Improve general signage directing traffic to car parks – in order to offer alternatives for
motorists if one car park is at or close to capacity; and
Provide for safer and more convenient access to disabled parking in the Church Street retail
strip.
6.1. Car parking demand reduction mechanisms
Consideration needs to be given to both demand and supply side measures and how these could be
utilised to achieve a reduced dependency on motor cars. The investigation of supply and demand
side measures would be required in order to reduce the current private motor vehicle reliance.
A broad level discussion regarding these car parking management mechanisms is provided below as
a reference to the development of the Car Parking Plan, noting that Church Street MAC currently
utilises a mix of some of these techniques.
30
A list of supplementary management tools, which may be considered appropriate to support the
reduction in road network congestion, parking demand and change existing travel habits are
outlined below:
Reduce Unrestricted Parking Supply in the Centre;
Greater Parking Enforcement to Ensure Turnover;
Installation of and improvements to Parking Guidance Signage;
Increased Parking Restrictions;
The Installation of Paid Parking Facilities;
Parking Permit Schemes and Priority Parking for Identified Users;
Reduced Car Parking Rates, through detailed consideration of the Car Parking Overlay, Car
Parking Waiver and Cash-in-lieu Schemes
Improvements and Extensions to the Supply of Off-Street Parking;
Behavioural Change Programs; and
Incentives for Sustainable Transport Modes.
These mechanisms are further explored in the following sections.
6.1.1. Reduce Unrestricted Parking Supply
Currently there are 680 unrestricted spaces in the Church Street Activity Centre on weekdays and
1158 on Saturdays. This does not effectively reflect the current car parking demand for the Centre as
it is gathered the longer term parking is often being utilised by commuters and traders.
It accordingly follows that by reducing the available parking provision within an area, or increasing
the restricted parking provision, it is possible to reduce the car parking demands associated with
that car parking. However, this should be carefully considered as it could have the potential to
reduce the commercial attractiveness of the area.
In the context of supporting the objectives for the Church Street MAC, a reduction in the
‘unrestricted’ car parking supply could be considered to be one tool in shifting travel habits to
sustainable and active travel modes, particularly for the rail passengers. Gradually and over an
extended period, it is anticipated the number of on-street restricted parking spaces in the activity
centre will expand and cover the whole area whilst the residential parking scheme will protect those
eligible properties which rely solely on the on-street parking provision.
6.1.2. Greater Parking Enforcement to Ensure Turnover
Enforcement of car parking restrictions is paramount to the adoption and maintenance of a given car
parking system. Without suitable enforcement, particularly when demands are significant, car
parking restrictions are not adhered to, which can result in the loss of any efficiencies and amenity
that might be gained.
The enforcement of parking is critical to ensure that parking is occurring with the intended allocation
of parking, parking activities are occurring in a safe manner and illegal parking activities do not
interfere with the flow and circulation of traffic. In order to provide a suitable level of enforcement
to maintain compliance with the nominated parking restrictions, there needs to be an appropriate
level of surveillance and penalty for non-compliance.
31
In this regard, it is noted that it is possible to introduce high levels of technology for the surveillance,
ticketing and processing of parking offences. While such technology will incur a high implementation
cost, it can reduce operational costs, improve the coverage of officers and improve the
responsiveness to illegal parking. The use of technology also allows more frequent coverage of key
areas to maintain effective turnover and operations of parking.
Consideration could be given to the installation of high level technology sensors. A parking detection
overstay system (PODS) has proven to be a success in several Victorian councils. In Maribyrnong City
Council, for example, the number of infringement notices issued for time-limit breaches jumped
from 3734 to 7830 in the year following the installation of the system, significantly increasing vehicle
turnover. The main benefit for installation of such a system is the increased parking turnover in
specified areas, such as activity centres. Moreland City Council has had PODs installed in since 2011
with very positive results.
Partnering with a private operator to install POD infrastructure who receives a proportion of the
revenue from the fines issued would be a more preferable option, as Council would not be required
to expend high levels of investment in the technology or the enforcement. An investigation on local
providers and costs should form part of any future work.
During the parking surveys, it was found that a number of vehicles were overstaying time restrictions
during weekdays:
At least 6% of the vehicles parked within 2P bays exceeded the time restriction;
At least 12% exceed the 1 hour restriction during the survey period; and
At least 15% of the vehicles parked within the ¼ hour restriction stayed longer than half an
hour.
The Saturday results showed similar figures where vehicles consistently overstayed the time
requitements.
Although the rate of enforcement in Bayside has remained constant, the number of parking
infringements notices being issued has increased gradually in the last few years. This may be an
indicator that the time restrictions are not adequate and therefore may need to be changed.
6.1.3. Installation of and improvements to Parking Guidance Signage
Wayfinding guidance signage, specifically related to car parking, is important to:
Highlight parking areas to ensure the most effective use of all available spaces, particularly
areas which may not initially be visible, especially to visitors, or known to drivers;
Reduce road network congestion caused by vehicles circulating to find a parking space; and
Assist drivers to get their parking space as quickly as possible.
In addition, and further to the standard static way finding signage, dynamic car parking signage
allows the number of vacant car parking spaces in a given area to be continuously displayed and
updated on electronic signs located at key driver decision points. Such technology can improve the
utilisation of parking areas, particularly as they reach capacity and it becomes more difficult to
identify where vacant spaces exist. They can also assist in reducing road network congestion as
vehicle circulation and time spent in search of a vacant space is reduced.
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The introduction of dynamic signage, alerting drivers to the number of spaces available in off-street
car parks, can improve their utilisation and assist drivers to locate vacant spaces prior to entering
and circulating the car parking areas. This technology would help balance car parking patronage
throughout the MAC and reduce traffic circulation.
Dynamic signage for outdoor car parks (at grade car parks) is typically done using loop based
technology (counting vehicles as they enter and exit the car parking area) or more accurately (and
more expensively) using individual parking sensors.
It is recommended that the opportunity for increased signage be investigated for the centre as
educating people on the available parking choices will likely assist people finding spaces to suit their
visitation needs.
6.1.4. Increased Parking Restrictions
Car parking space restrictions are fundamental to the appropriate management of a car parking
system. These restrictions have the ability to locate where certain user groups park, often providing
priority for certain user types, with their use also important in creating a turnover of parking within
spaces to allow for a greater number of motorists to use the same space. On the other hand, the
incorrect use of car parking restrictions can have negative flow-on effects to vehicular turnover and
can often cause excessive vehicle circulation in search of a car park and/or overspill into the
surrounding areas.
Parking can also play a role in protecting car parking overspill from adjacent land uses which may
result in a loss of amenity of surrounding land owners or residents. A balance needs to be carefully
met when introducing parking to ‘protect’ particular uses, given that parking is a shared public
resource and it is often inefficient to dedicate parking to a single user type.
It will be important to continue to maintain the short-term restricted parking within proximity to the
main activity centre to ensure priority parking for shoppers. These restrictions will need to be
reviewed periodically to ensure appropriate allocation of parking for all users in the future.
The development of a parking hierarchy which sees visitors and shoppers prioritised in the centre
core will assist in ensuring a high turnover of vehicles, with an appropriate balance of time
restrictions in place. Regular monitoring to ensure compliance with time restrictions is encouraged,
however should be carefully monitored to ensure the time restrictions are meeting their intended
purpose and meeting community need. In addition to the user groups’ hierarchy, introducing specific
parking zones or areas for priority parking within the centre will assist in managing the car parking
demand. This information can also be very useful when shared with the general public so they can
find appropriate parking for their particular needs.
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6.1.5. The Installation of Paid Parking Facilities
The pricing of car parking can act as an extremely powerful demand management tool as it directly
imposes a charge on the use of the car, in addition to the indirect charges associated with vehicle
registration, fuel, maintenance and insurance. The pricing of parking can also assist in providing:
A level of natural enforcement of restrictions (drivers are less willing to risk overstaying as an
overstay event in a paid parking area, relative to a normal time restricted parking area, is far
easier to detect by enforcement officers); and
Greater time efficiency, in the enforcement task for officers monitoring car parking spaces,
thereby allowing a greater catchment of spaces to be captured.
It is widely recognised that paid parking is a tool which can be used to manage car parking demands
more efficiently during peak periods. The introduction of paid parking in the MAC would be a
significant policy decision, and both support and opposition for the introduction of paid parking was
demonstrated throughout the 2014 community consultation process. Issues that would need to be
considered prior to commencing a paid parking scheme include:
The effect of introducing paid parking on the ability of the Centre to attract a greater share of
local retail spending (i.e. to achieve Council’s retail objectives for Church Street); and
Whether pay parking has potential to achieve sustainability outcomes by reducing the demand
for parking in the centre due to use of alternative means of access to the Centre, including
walking, cycling, catching the train or the funding of a shuttle bus.
Any introduction of paid parking must be carefully considered for the reasons above and before a
decision regarding the introduction of paid parking is considered, a separate study may be
warranted to investigate the economic impacts. As it may not currently be supported widely and
there is capacity within the on-street supply, it is considered inappropriate to introduce at this time.
6.1.6. Parking Permit Schemes and Priority Parking for Identified Users
The purpose of a parking permit scheme is to provide a management mechanism for
rationing/sharing the benefits of the public parking resource to particular user groups such as
residents or businesses in the area during times of peak parking demand whilst minimising adverse
impacts of commercial activities, particularly during peak business hours. It also serves to provide
exemptions from parking restrictions.
As parking in the Church Street Centre becomes more difficult, it is possible to give greater certainty
of finding a parking space to special priority user groups in the future. These are discussed below:
Seniors Parking
With the ageing population set to rise considerably over the next 15 years, Southland
Shopping Centre has already introduced dedicated Seniors Parking in the area. Only a limited
number of Councils appear to have investigated the introduction of Seniors Parking Permits
for their shopping centres, with the Cities of Brisbane and Copper Coast who is currently
undertaking a trial of permits for seniors. As Bayside currently has one of the greatest
proportions of those over aged 65 and over this will have implications in the future for
parking and could be investigated.
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In 2011, 16,276 people aged 65 and over were living in Bayside, this accounted for
approximately 17.8% of the total population. In 2031, there will be 25,168 persons aged 65
and over, this is a rise of 8,326 people in that age group and a substantial increase of almost
50%.
There is the potential to provide designated seniors parking within off-street Council car
parks. In addition, seniors’ parking permits may allow the extension of time in certain
restricted parking areas. It is recommended that this should be further explored as part of
any future investigation for improving the provision of parking in the Church Street Centre.
Accessible Parking for People with a Disability
With the forecast ageing of the population in Bayside and in Victoria in general, there is a
need to ensure there is an adequate supply of convenient and accessible parking spaces that
can be used by disabled or mobility impaired visitors to the Church Street MAC. The disabled
parking is located close to key retail destinations such as the supermarket and specialty
shops or services. The disabled parking bays have generally been provided on the end of
blocks, which makes is easier to park.
There are no guidelines on the required rates for the provision of public disabled parking
spaces. As such, the provision should be based on meeting the stated needs of disabled
residents and visitors.
This approach involves engaging and listening to representations from relevant stakeholders
including disabled and mobility impaired residents and visitors to identify if access for
disabled people needs to be improved. Although there are currently 99 disabled parking
permits recorded in Church Street MAC, there are only 12 designated disabled car parking
spaces provided in the Centre. The location and use of these spaces should be regularly
monitored to understand demand for additional spaces.
The occupancies for disabled parking bays were not included in the survey results. However,
analysis on the numbers of permit holders and supply along with community feedback
suggests there is a lack of disabled parking in the centre. This should be investigated further
to ensure there is sufficient accessible disabled parking available in key locations.
Another method to support access for electric wheelchairs and scooters in the activity
centre is to encourage local businesses to provide access to power. A key action included in
the Integrated Transport Strategy is to work with the Department of Human Services to
assess the suitability of implementing the National Recharge Scheme – Electric Wheelchair
and Scooters within Bayside. The RECHARGE Scheme™ is targeted at encouraging local
businesses and organisations to provide a power point so that users of electric wheelchairs
or scooters can recharge the battery, if required.
Trader Parking Permits
Trader parking permit schemes are an option where there is limited parking for long-term
users at a number of select locations such as within an activity centre or commercial area.
Trader permit parking systems allow traders to be exempt from time based restrictions. The
allocation of trader parking permits should have consideration for the expected parking
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demands under Clause 52.06 of the planning scheme, the number of staff at each business,
the size of the site and the existing number of on-site parking spaces.
If such a scheme were to be in place, a clear and rigid eligibility criteria and fee structure
would need to be established to minimise demand for the scheme. Sustainable travel should
be encouraged as a priority and uses with low parking demand and no onsite parking should
be prioritised over larger employers with higher demands. A detailed eligibility criteria
would need to be established prior to rolling out such a scheme.
These permits can be made available at the discretion of the Council where it is considered
reasonable and need to meet specific criteria through an application and review process.
Trader parking permits may be made available under the following conditions:
There is a demand from local businesses as determined by parking studies and Council’s
Traffic Management Department; taking into account existing on-site provisions and
available on-street supply;
Permits will not allow parking in prohibited standing places, i.e.: No Stopping areas, Bus
Zones, within 10m of an intersection, etc.;
Permit holder complies with conditions of issue;
The number of permits per business would be limited; and
Fees must apply, with the number of available permits would be limited and applications
subject to Council approval.
It could be possible to supply these permits. A new application would be required at the end
of the year or at the expiration of the permit. The following is a sample of where these
permits are currently in use:
The City of Boroondara has two types of trader permits. Quarterly permits and Annual
permits may be available for use in the traders parking zones. Local businesses and
certain other organisations can apply for a permit for parking all day in certain
designated areas. Fees apply, permit numbers are limited and applications subject to
Council approval;
As part of the Activity Centre Parking Strategy, Maroondah Council developed a Croydon
Traders Parking Permit Policy. The Croydon Trader Parking Permit is $125 per year. A
new application needs to be made each year; and
City of Kingston has two Trader Parking Permit Schemes: operating in Cheltenham since
2007 (50 permits) and Chelsea more recently with a total of 80 permits available. The
cost of the permits is $220 annually. Waiting Lists exist for the Chelsea and Cheltenham
schemes which suggests they are working well and are in high demand.
City of Monash is currently reviewing its Trader Parking Permit Scheme. Under the existing
scheme, Council issues parking permits to businesses on application. These permits allow
traders to park without restriction in designated streets or off street car parks (OSCP) near
activity centres. Permits last for one year and are renewable annually on 1 July each year.
There is no cost to obtain a permit and generally there are no limits as to the number of
permits that may be issued to each applicant. Essentially there are more permits issued
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than there are permit parking spaces and therefore Monash is seeking the introduction of
fees for these permits.
If these permits were to be introduced, they should be made available for use in areas of
more than 400 metres (i.e. a 5 minute walk) from the activity centre core. This will ensure
trader parking does not interfere with the allocation of parking for higher priority user
groups within the core, such as visitors. Therefore it is suggested that designated locations
for trader parking in the activity centre periphery (surrounding residential streets) are
explored. It is recommended that consultation with the key stakeholders should follow to
ensure residents and traders are comfortable with the proposal.
Whilst considering the introduction of these permits, it is important to note, Banyule City
Council is now recommending the phasing out of its traders’ permits in the long term within
the Heidelberg Activity Centre. The rational for this is that each space occupied by a trader
potentially offsets up to eight short term spaces which could otherwise be used by visitors
and customers, which is not sustainable in the long term.
Expansion of Fees for Residential Parking Permits
As mentioned earlier, the objective of the Resident Parking Permit Scheme Policy is to
provide residents and their visitors with a reasonable likelihood of finding car parking in
close proximity to their homes, while acknowledging the needs of other road users. There
are currently two options for residential parking permits in Bayside:
Option 1 is for three free resident parking permits; and
Option 2 is for two free resident parking permits, plus one visitor parking permit for a
fee of $64.50.
Additional permits can be purchased for a fee of $174 which is currently valid for 3 years.
There are a number of properties not eligible to participate in the scheme including
properties located in commercial areas, shop top dwellings and multi-unit development
properties (constructed after 2007).
As parking becomes more of an issue in key growth areas such as the Hampton Street
Activity Centre, Bayside has the opportunity to investigate the expansion of fees for
residential permits through a community consultation process. Evidence of successful
residential permit parking fees is demonstrated in many other municipalities. The fee aims
for residents to take advantage of their onsite parking, reduce car ownership of residents in
activity centres and encourage short trips to be undertaken on foot rather than through
motor vehicles. A brief review of other councils with effective residential permit schemes is
provided here:
The City of Darebin issues residential parking permits for eligible residences who own a
car and do not have sufficient off street parking. These apply in two zones:
o Zone A: All shop-top residences along defined shopping precincts. If no off-street
parking is available, residences are eligible for a maximum of one permanently
affixed permit only.
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o Zone B: Covers areas of significant parking congestion. If no off-street parking is
available, residences are eligible for a maximum of two permits – which can be any
combination of transferable or resident permits.
Households with access to off-street parking or who do not own a car are entitled to one
less permit. Permits cost $30 for the first, and $50 for the second if eligible, with concession
card holders entitled to a 50 per cent discount. Permits must be renewed annually.
Manningham City Council’s Parking Permit Policy aims to reduce the number of parking
permits available to residents due to increased demand for on street parking and the
need to provide an equitable scheme. The permits available for issue include:
o Single detached dwellings – able to apply for two free permits, to be renewed every
three years, with exceptional cases able to apply for a third permit at a cost of $85,
to be renewed annually.
o Multi-dwelling developments can apply for one permit at a cost of $52, to be
renewed annually.
The City of Port Phillip has a Resident Parking Permit Scheme in place which helps to
alleviate parking issues for residents. The annual charge per permit is $75.
The City of Glen Eira’s residential parking permit scheme has a number of eligibility and
conditions which apply to applications, including an exclusions areas. The permits are
renewable in December each year.
A key action in managing the expectations of demand for parking from the community is
that Council should publish a list of properties which are excluded from the residential
parking permit scheme to ensure potential purchasers are aware before they buy ineligible
land. The City of Glen Eira has successfully done this to assist in clarifying the properties
which are excluded from the scheme and reduce the number of applications which would
ultimately be rejected by Council.
The majority of residences within the Church Street Activity Centre have off-street parking
available. Currently there is a distribution of 491 existing residential parking permits and 151
visitor parking permits within the centre. When demand for on-street parking increases,
Council may explore increased eligibility criteria for the distribution of residential parking
permits. Currently, residents living in multi-unit developments are not eligible for parking
permits when the building was constructed after 2007. A key method to reduce on street-
parking demand which could be explored in the future may be to exclude all residential
properties within the centre with access to off-street parking to be eligible for a parking
permit.
Where demand for on-street parking in activity centres is high, these locations may
command an increased fee to encourage reduced car ownership and sustainable travel
behaviour. Consistent with the practices of other councils, Council could investigate the
opportunity to expand the fees for residential parking permits through a community
consultation process. This may assist in easing the car parking demand in residential areas in
the Church Street Activity Centre. Providing clear access to information on eligibility,
refining the eligibility criteria given the current high number of permits issued and
introducing a fee will ensure that demand is reduced to those who are most in need of a
permit. Another key indicator going forward will be with the monitoring and recording of the
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distribution and uptake of residential parking permits within the activity centre. It will be
necessary to record data on the numbers of residents who hold both residential and visitor
permits and the applicable fees, if any. This information needs to be recorded so it is easily
dissimilated for future use in terms of gaining a better understanding of where the
residential permits are used which may need more protection in the future as the activity
centre expands and car parking demand increases in the residential areas.
6.1.7. Reduced Car Parking Rates
The provision of reduced car parking rates beyond what the MAC currently generates may
be used to reduce current road network congestion and assist to shift the way in which
people travel to, from and within Church Street MAC. Reduced car parking provisions alone
will, however not be sufficient to manage the existing and future car parking system.
Future car parking rates can only be applied to reduce the amount of parking that is
provided as part of a new development in the area, as such additional mechanisms (or
demand management tools) are required to modify and reduce existing car parking demands
within the area.
The use of either maximum or minimum car parking rates needs to give consideration to the
appropriate balance between the need to reduce car dependence within an activity area
whilst not constraining parking to such an extent that it may impact a developer’s decision to
invest in the area, or encourage shoppers to travel elsewhere. In this regard, development
applications which seek to reduce the parking requirements need to be carefully monitored
and reviewed periodically to ensure the parking supply is maintained at a sufficient level to
balance increasing demand. A more detailed discussion regarding maximum versus
minimum rates should be provided in future work.
Car Parking Overlay
Introducing a parking overlay can:
Outline when car parking spaces must be provided and how those spaces can be
provided;
Determine the number of car parking spaces to be provided;
Explain the requirements for reducing the provision of car parking spaces;
Require that new car parking spaces are designed and constructed to certain standards;
Provide for precinct based provisions that establish local rates in identified areas such as
activity centres.
Current car parking rates in Bayside are based on Clause 52.06 of the Planning Scheme.
Clause 52.06: Car Parking sets out the standard planning scheme requirements for parking in
Victoria. Table 1 of Clause 52.06 outlines the minimum car parking requirements for a given
land use. These car parking provisions apply to new land uses or where there is an increase
in floor area, number of patrons, seats, practitioners, residents or staff of an existing land
use. When a Council wants to vary the requirements for parking in a specified area, a parking
overlay can be implemented. Clause 45.09: Parking Overlay enables councils to respond to
local car parking issues and can be used to outline local variations to the standard
39
requirements in Clause 52.06. The rates specified in a parking overlay override the standard
requirements (Column A or Column B) at Clause 52.06.
The current rates for dwellings, shops, supermarkets and offices are presented below in
Table 15. These are the primary land uses in the Church Street Activity Centre and are
targeted by the introduction of a Schedule to the Parking Overlay. Introducing a parking
overlay for the centre will ensure that all new planning applications will need to comply with
these requirements.
Table 15: Clause 52.06 parking rates
Use Column A
Standard
rate
Column B Only applies
where
specified in a
schedule to
the Parking
Overlay
Measure
Dwelling
1 1 To each one and two bedroom dwelling, plus
2 2 To each three or more bedroom dwelling (with studies
or studios that are separate rooms counted as a
bedroom, plus
1 0 For visitors to every 5 dwellings for developments of 5 or
more dwellings
Shop 4 3.5 To each 100 sq m
Supermarket 5 5 To each 100 sq m
Office 3.5 3 To each 100 sq m
The Parking Overlay should be used to ensure that new developments within the Church
Street Activity Centre must provide sufficient parking for dwellings and their visitors alike at
the standard rate in Column A. In the VCAT examples provided below in Table 16, it was
often found that the Tribunal Member waived the car parking requirements for visitors,
stating that there was sufficient parking supply available on-street, however, it is considered
that this provision is at the expense of shoppers to the Centre. It is believed that waiving the
visitor parking means that this overflow is then absorbed into the on-street parking which
should be allocated to visitors to the centre, not visitors to the dwellings and increases the
demand for on-street parking. Introducing a parking overlay will ensure this does not
continue.
In addition, it was found that many proposals for new apartments appeared to supply more
than the standard car parking rates for dwellings. For example, a number of applications
with two bedroom dwellings provided two parking spaces instead of the required ‘…one
space to each one and two bedroom dwelling.’ Careful consideration must be given to
whether or not to introduce maximum rates. As Bayside has a higher than average rate of
car ownership, and are prepared to pay more for apartments with parking, one wonders
whether applying maximum rates would actually be detrimental to the life of the activity
centre.
Car Parking Waivers
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There may be times when a proposed development and/or land use cannot physically
support the required off-street car parking requirements as required in the planning
scheme. It is in these instances when a waiver or reduction of the car parking rate is
required.
A car parking waiver is managed through the planning permit system and if Council
considers it appropriate, a planning permit can be issued for the waiver.
At the individual site level, where there is a change of use within an existing building or an
extension to an existing building, where there is no possibility to provide additional on-site
car parking, in most circumstances car parking shortfalls should be waived if it is consistent
with the strategic plan for the centre. This is often the most equitable solution to deal with
car parking on a centre wide basis, and secondly because even in saturated car parking
conditions a balance will occur between the level of activity and the car parking supply. As
Church Street is identified as an area where Council is encouraging higher density residential
development, consideration should be given to a reduction of the car parking required to be
provided for changes of uses or minor extensions to existing development. An analysis of
recent planning permit applications within the Church Street Activity Centre is outlined in
the following table.
Table 16: Relevant planning applications and VCAT findings for Church Street MAC
Address and case
details
Case reference and
summary of proposal
Decision Car parking
provisions and
comment
14 St Andrews Street, Brighton Church Street MAC
Roach v Bayside CC & Ors [2012] VCAT 782 (12 June 2012)
VCAT REFERENCE NO.
P3394/2011
The proposal was for
Construction of a three
(3) storey residential
building containing nine
(9) apartments and
basement car parking.
The decision of the
responsible authority
was set aside and a
permit issued subject to
conditions. As to the
provision of car parking,
this issue was not raised
by parties as a concern
and the Tribunal
member found that the
provision of resident
parking was appropriate
as visitor car parking
could be provided on
street.
The basement car park
provides parking for 16
car spaces including two
per apartment with the
exception of apartments
four and five allocated
one car space. No visitor
parking is provided in
the basement. Whilst no
visitor parking was
provided, the provision
of parking for the
dwellings exceeds the
requirements of the
Clause 52.06.
15 Carpenter Street,
Brighton
Church Street MAC
MQ Ink Pty Ltd v Bayside
CC [2007] VCAT 1863 (12
October 2007)
VCAT REFERENCE NO.
P1480/2006
Approval was sought for
construction of nine
dwellings in a two to
three storey apartment
building (plus
basement).
The decision of the
Responsible Authority
was set aside. A permit
was granted and
directed to be issued.
The permit allowed the
development of nine
dwellings. The Member
considered the provision
of one visitor parking
space to be acceptable.
The proposal was for 9
units with each
containing 2 bedrooms
and a study. The
basement would contain
19 car spaces. These
would be allocated to
the dwellings with one
visitor space. The
Council’s grounds of
refusal included lack of
visitor parking.
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171 Church Street
Brighton
Church Street MAC
Planning Application
Number 2011/3127/1
The proposal was for a
total of 38 apartments
containing 32 x 2
bedroom dwellings & 6 x
3 bedroom dwellings.
The original application
proposed 66 car spaces.
In amended plans, the
parking was reduced to
a total of 63 car spaces.
Council approved the
application for
dispensation for the
visitor parking. Council
supported this
dispensation given the
excess residential
parking for the 6 x 2
bedroom dwellings at 2
spaces per dwelling.
The required parking for
38 apartments is 44
spaces + 8 visitor spaces,
totalling 52 spaces. The
proposal provides a total
of 63 spaces, indicating
an excess of 9 spaces.
However, there was no
visitor parking provided
and therefore a variation
requested for the 8
visitor parking spaces.
Based on the above analysis of both planning permit approvals by council and recent VCAT
decisions, it has been found that the majority of development proposals within the Church
Street Activity Centre have met with the car parking requirements of the planning scheme
and provided sufficient car parking onsite. It is considered that along with a high rate of car
ownership in the area, there is an expectation that developments may exceed the minimum
requirements for two bedroom dwellings with the provision of at least two car spaces.
However in these cases, the provision of an additional car space for the dwelling is at the
cost of providing visitor parking. In these instances, VCAT has been supportive of the
proposals whilst waiving the requirements for visitor parking on site, citing the availability of
on-street parking capacity.
A key benefit of a parking overlay will be that it reinforces the overall plan for the centre on
a precinct wide basis and therefore will ensure that sufficient visitor parking is provided on
site. Introducing a parking overlay will also assist in the reduction of development
applications that ultimately end up involved in a costly legal process at VCAT.
Cash-In-Lieu Schemes
Cash-in-lieu schemes allow developers to reduce or waive the requirement for car parking,
generally in return for a payment per car space. The funds raised from the scheme should
typically then be spent on upgrading parking facilities and management within the
municipality. If a Council has adopted the Scheme, it will be outlined within a Schedule to
the Parking Overlay of the Planning Scheme with details and required payments. A limited
number of Victorian Metropolitan Councils have adopted the Scheme.
The use of cash-in-lieu (CIL) payments can assist to effectively provide parking in shared
pools and to maximise the key land parcels in the Centre for commercial purposes rather
than for car parking. CIL schemes are most effective when on-site parking is difficult to
supply, on street spaces are not available, there is regular redevelopment of an area
contributing to the collection of funds and where there are a number of uses closely located
to benefit from the shared parking location.
The benefits for a CIL approach relate to when uses (particularly changes to uses) are not
able to provide existing car parking on site. A challenge for Councils to implement successful
CIL schemes require Council’s to have a long term strategic plan in place, generally to build
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additional off street car parking facilities. In addition, CIL contributions can generally only be
applied to new development rather than simple change of use applications.
Council’s 2006 Car Parking Precinct Plan recommended a significant discount be provided to
those developers required to pay the cash-in-lieu rate for provision of parking below the
requirements to be set out in the parking precinct plan. This was due to the considerably
high cost of land in Bayside, which would require a CIL contribution to be over $75,000 per
car parking space waivered. In many cases, this would not be feasible for development and
would likely stifle development of the Activity Centre. In addition, any new multi deck or off
street car park constructed would likely need to charge paid parking in order to recoup the
considerable cost of development – an option not heavily supported through the community
consultation feedback. It is noted that while a significant proportion of the estimated total
cost of providing additional parking are land costs, which may be able to be reduced through
the development of sites currently owned by Council, there may be the need for Council to
subsidise the capital costs of providing spaces within a multi-level car park.
A number of potential development sites have been identified through an assessment of
Council owned car parks. These are provided below in Table 17 and more information is
provided below under the Improvements and Extensions to the Supply of Off-Street Parking
section.
Table 17: Council Owned Carparks in Church Street Activity Centre
Council Asst ID
Address Approx. Size (m2) Site Classification
20118 21-27 Well Street, Brighton 4,969.6 Prime Site
20115 22-26 Black Street, Brighton 2,772.6 Prime Site
20119 Rear 115 Church Street, Brighton 1,258.5 Restricted Site
20115 5-7 Well Street, Brighton 1,187.9 Restricted Site
Based on the high (and potentially excessive) predictions of future public car parking
demand, AECOM assessed how the demand could be accommodated given the 2004 car
parking occupancy data. AECOM considered it reasonable to develop new car parking
facilities to accommodate between 120 to 160 cars over the existing parking lots located on
the corner of Carpenter and Black Streets and off Well Street between Carpenter Street and
the railway line.
However, in relation to the strategy for Church Street of increasing the amount of car
parking in the Black Street car park (currently 92 spaces) and Well Street car park (currently
137 spaces), it is considered that building design guidance in the Structure Plan that
prescribes built form may create challenges in achieving this strategy. However, until a
thorough feasibility of the two sites in terms of potential redevelopment opportunity is
undertaken and an investigation into the potential of utilising a cash-in-lieu scheme, and a
determination into the particular rate to charge per space in order to fund a given project, it
is presently unclear whether the realisation of these opportunities is feasible.
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6.1.8. Improvements and Extensions to the Supply of Off-Street Parking
Maintenance of car parking areas is important to ensure that parking is safe, attractive to users and
efficiently used. It is recommended that Council continually work with private car parking owners to
ensure that parking facilities meet with current design standards and are maintained at an
appropriate level of lighting and surveillance to encourage the perception of safety.
Although it is best to provide parking in publicly accessible locations as much as practicable to
enable sharing of spaces for activity centre users, there are potentially other sites throughout the
centre on privately owned land where it could be desirable to establish parking associated with
commercial development of the land.
Together with the existing public parking, these may provide a significant contribution to
coordinating shared parking areas that are readily accessible and identifiable by the public. The
opportunities for private parking should be investigated for future use. It is therefore recommended
that Council can play an advocacy role in the promotion of informal agreements between
landowners and car owners to increase the availability of more parking in the MAC.
It is understood these types of arrangements are already occurring in other municipalities, such as
City of Port Phillip and City of Yarra. ‘Parkhound’ is an example of an online marketplace which
connects drivers looking for parking with local property owners who have spare parking spaces.
Council can play a role of advocacy in promoting awareness of products such as Parkhound to the
broader community.
Car parking strategies have been identified in the Church Street Centre Structure Plan to increase the
supply of car parking in the Centre. For example, the future role and character statement identifies
the large at-grade level car park behind the shops in Well Street will be replaced with a mixed use
development which will provide additional car parking, a small public open space and a residential
interface with Well Street. A total of an additional 140-180 car spaces are indicated.
Specifically, there are opportunities to increase the supply of off-street parking in the Church Street
MAC. Of the four Council owned off-street carparks located within the Church Street Major Activity
Centre, two have been identified as potential redevelopment opportunities for multi-purpose uses.
22-26 Black Street Brighton (corner of Carpenter and Black Streets).
This car park is located at the northern rear of the Church Street MAC, with direct access to
Middle Brighton station. The site has a mixture of interfaces, and serves as one of the MAC’s
key public parking areas. The site serves as a transition between commercial and residential
land uses. It has been identified as a prime site for development potential and could suit a
department store, mixed use development, commercial uses, shop-top housing etc. It could
accommodate higher scales of built form due to interfaces and corner location.
21-27 Well Street Brighton (north side of Well Street, b/w Carpenter Street & rail line).
This car park is located at the rear of the Church Street MAC, and is a key car park within the
MAC. Middle Brighton station is located approximately 150m NE of site. The car park abuts
the Safeway supermarket (east of site). It has been identified as a prime site for
development potential and could accommodate higher scales of built form due to
commercial interfaces and southern abutting road such as a department store, mixed use
development or commercial uses etc.
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These above sites are included in a shortlist of properties with high development potential that
should be the subject of further detailed appraisal comprising financial feasibility and analysis on
sustainability criteria for the future role of the MAC. It is important to note that if the sites were to
be developed as mixed-use facilities, the car parking component would undoubtedly require
payment for usage.
6.1.9. Behavioural Change Programs
Green Travel Plans
A way of managing or reducing parking demand is to have a travel management plan, or
green travel plan, in place. These typically use incentives to encourage employees and
visitors to use sustainable travel modes. For example, local areas can set up carpooling
schemes with a guaranteed ride home for the passenger if the driver has to leave
unexpectedly.
Council may wish to provide support to local traders to encourage workplaces to have in
place a green travel plan which includes methods to monitor its effectiveness. Generally a
green travel ‘champion’ can be appointed in each workplace operating green travel plan.
The champion is then responsible for setting up the various strategies within the plan (such
as a car pooling scheme) and monitoring use to measure the plan’s effectiveness. Green
travel planning is generally only suitable for workplaces, as the employer can influence the
travel behaviours of employees (such as by charging staff to park in the company car park,
for example).
There are methods for reducing activity centre residents’ reliance on cars and therefore the
parking demand. For example, when car sharing schemes are located close to residential
areas, this may assist in steering people away from car ownership. It may also be possible to
‘unbundle’ car parking in residential buildings. This means that off-street parking spaces are
not attached to individual property titles, but are available for purchase/hire separately to
owners and tenants. This avoids the situation where people are paying for a parking space
they do not need and enables those who do not own a car to rent a space only when they
need one. This technique tends to lower the overall number of spaces required in a building.
Council is in the process of updating its Green Travel Plan. The main objective of the draft
Plan is to lower energy related transport emissions which, currently account for
approximately 15 per cent of Council’s total greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. At a state-
wide level GHG emissions of energy related transport emissions represent around 17 per
cent across Victoria. There are many benefits of the draft Plan including:
A reduction in Council’s GHG emissions;
Promoting Council as an innovative and environmentally aware organisation;
Improvements to health and fitness of Council staff through increased cycling and
walking activity;
Improved staff moral and social interaction at the corporate centre;
More people walking and cycling fosters a sense of community and links to the ITS;
Reduced traffic congestion and car parking problems; and
Cost savings to Council and Council staff.
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The City of Darebin and the City of Maribyrnong are two councils that have developed
guidance on travel plans specifically for new developments. It is recommended that in order
to increase the use of public transport, walking and cycling in Bayside, Council should
consider development of travel plans for new developments in the Church Street Activity
Centre.
Bicycle Parking
Clause 52.34 of the Planning Scheme (Bicycle Facilities) seeks to encourage cycling as a mode
of transport with the provision of secure, accessible and convenient bicycle parking spaces
and associated shower and change facilities. The standard requirement for the provision of
bicycle facilities for a range of uses is set out in Clause 52.34.
The Australian Bicycle Council has produced a developer fact sheet that outlines typical
bicycle parking space requirements and subsequent end-of-trip facilities for a range of uses.
Following on from this, City of Yarra has produced a transport fact sheet which outlines ways
to incorporate alternative modes of transport into building design. It could be expected that
as new development occurs that end-of-trip facilities will be provided for both staff and
customers and is recommended that these facilities be enforced by Council except where it
is not practical to access the site by bicycle.
Higher bicycle parking requirements should be enforced on new developments that have
excellent access to cycling facilities. This is especially the case for developments that are the
source of trips, such as residential, as approximately 60% of all Australians own or have
access to a bike. Ensuring that there is sufficient bike parking on site, and not in a closet or
storage cage, where it is difficult to access helps to reduce barriers to its use.
Furthermore, should additional end-of trip facilities be provided, along with other initiatives
that are likely to result in the increased use of alternative methods of transport, then
reductions in the minimum number of car parking spaces required to be provided should be
offered.
Motorcycle/Scooter Parking
It is noted that while Clauses 52.06 and 52.34 outline the statutory car and bicycle parking
requirements of development proposals, no consideration is given within the Planning
Scheme to facilitate the provision of motorcycle/scooter parking within developments.
Anecdotal evidence suggests the number of scooters and motorcycles parked close to the
Railway Station has increased, with parking informal around bicycle lockers and bus waiting
areas.
This is considered to represent a shortcoming of the Planning Scheme and it recommended
that motorcycle/scooter parking be provided within all car parks constructed in the activity
centre (irrespective of whether they are private or public car parks).
According to figures released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), motor cycle
registrations in Australia continue to grow, showing the fastest growth of any type of vehicle
over the past five years. From 2010 to 2015 motor cycle registrations - including scooters -
went up by over 22 per cent. This represented the largest increase in any vehicle and this
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trend accordingly highlights the importance of providing greater parking for motorcycles and
scooters.
Car Sharing Schemes
Public car sharing facilities, such as those provided by FlexiCar, GreenShareCar, GoGet and
CarNextDoor should be encouraged within the activity centre, particularly within mixed-use
developments including residential apartments, as a means to further reduce the car
dependency in the activity centre.
The popularity of car sharing schemes across Melbourne has increased significantly in recent
years. Car sharing allows registered members to book and rent a ‘pool’ car for, generally,
short term usage, typically ranging from a few hours to a day or two. Car sharing is most
effective in mixed-use areas such as activity centres with greater dwelling density with good
public transport, cycling and pedestrian networks, which make it possible for residents and
workers to undertake most of their daily activities without a car, while offering the flexibility
of car usage for special occasions.
Car share networks are proven to reduce the use of motor vehicles and increase the use of
public transport, bicycle riding and walking. For example, the City of Melbourne1 have
reported that each car-share spot equates to 10 less cars owned by residents or businesses
and that there were now 2000 fewer cars in central Melbourne than if car-share schemes
did not exist. This new transport mode enables the City to ease the pressure on network
capacity resulting from population growth and cars owned by residents, which in turn
reduces the number of cars competing for parking and driving space. Remarkably this can all
be achieved at a minimal cost to the Council.
City of Port Phillip has prepared a draft Car Share Policy. The purpose of the policy is to
encourage the expansion of car share across the municipality and provide a clear basis for
Council procedures in how Council officers can increase the number of car share vehicles
and the coverage across the municipality.
Currently, these schemes do not operate in Bayside. It is important to note though, that
Bayside’s proximity to the central city and increasing density and diversity of land uses offers
significant potential for increased use of car sharing vehicles. Car share companies should be
encouraged to establish their services in Bayside and Council should be proactive in
attracting the service providers and communication this with the market. In support of this
aim, strategies to encourage increased uptake of car sharing should be encouraged by
Council.
A number of key actions in Council’s Integrated Transport Strategy for increasing the
opportunity of car sharing schemes to operate in Bayside include:
1 City of Melbourne: Emerging transport technologies: Assessing impacts and implications for the City of Melbourne 2016
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investigate the benefits of broadening access to a car share program for existing
residents and business and as part of parking schemes for major residential
development in Bayside; and
Continue to work with the Department of Transport on the Electric Vehicle Trial to
develop appropriate policy and implementation guidelines should its demand
increase within the broader community over time.
Electric vehicle charge zone (charging outlets)
Electric vehicles (EVs) have started to arrive on Victoria’s roads. Most major vehicle
manufacturers are now or soon will be delivering EVs into the market. However, electric
vehicle charging stations are rare in Australia and there’s no government incentives to have
them set up. The number of electric vehicles sold in Australia more than tripled from 304 in
2013 to 1130 last year. The Department of Transport expects plug-in cars will make up a
quarter of new vehicle sales in Victoria by 2020.
Whilst the electric car is still an emerging market, there are some local councils taking the
opportunity to introduce charging stations. City of Moreland was the first council in Victoria
to introduce a network of publicly available electric vehicle charging stations located at four
destinations. City of Darebin is also planning for the introduction of electric vehicles. Darebin
Councillors agreed with a transport management report recommending the council
encourage developers to include charging points in new projects and for shopping centres to
also provide somewhere to charge electric cars.
Stockland is putting its green foot forward, with four ChargePoint outlets at its shopping
centres in NSW and Point Cook Town Centre, Victoria. The company is planning to more
than double that in the next financial year. Electric car company, Tesla is also planning to
install 16 supercharger stations between Melbourne and Brisbane.
In 2013, Moreland City Council launched their electric vehicle Fast Charge station as part of
the Victorian Government’s Electric Vehicle Trial. Capable of charging electric vehicles in 30
minutes, the station was launched by Minister for Public Transport and Roads, Terry Mulder.
Supplied and installed by ChargePoint, the Fast Charger is one of the first of its kind
connected to the ChargePoint network, meaning EV drivers can locate and reserve the
station where and when they need it.
Some key actions for Bayside include:
Investigate the opportunity to install charging stations in key locations within its
activity centres;
Investigate the potential expansion of the number of electric vehicles in Council’s
fleet;
Encourage EV charging stations (both public and private) in new developments
through the existing Statutory Planning process; and
Continue to monitor the actions of other participating councils to remain aware of
their decisions around EV. Council should also monitor activities being undertaken
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by other national and international councils to ensure that we are aware of best
practises and responding accordingly.
6.1.10. Incentives for Sustainable Transport Modes
These incentives provide the “carrot” to encourage the use of sustainable modes of transport and
assist in removing the perceived barriers to travelling by bus, tram, train, bicycle, walking,
carpooling, etc. while making it more difficult (less attractive) to drive. A number of these initiatives
are listed as follows:
car clubs and car share schemes;
bike share schemes (i.e. at the train station, foreshore and other key destinations);
lower provision of car parking in new developments;
end of trip facilities for cyclists, runners and walkers;
priority access and movement over cars;
infrastructure that supports each alternative mode and their connection between them –
multi-modal trips; and
personalised travel planning, travel awareness campaigns and public transport information
and marketing.
The encouragement of the use of alternative transport modes would provide a tool to reduce
existing and future parking demands. These facilities are considered to be particularly important to
encourage short trips, such as those from apartments to shops, to be completed by modes other
than car.
The Church Street Activity Centre is well serviced by public transport services, including the train and
bus services operating throughout the area. The public transport services connect the Centre with
key origins and destinations. The provision of these services and the continued investment in them
provides a great opportunity to further reduce car parking dependency in the Centre.
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7. CONCLUSION The analysis provided within this report provides guidance on a range of options for the future
development of a Car Parking Plan for the centre. Council’s commitment to encourage sustainable
travel behaviour should be given priority, with subordinate documents given a secondary focus as
outlined in the Bayside Integrated Transport Strategy 2013.
It is recommended that a car parking plan be developed which responds to and provides guidance
on the matters outlined within this report and provides appropriate measures in place for the longer
term.