Thank you to everyone who provided feedback on the Banyule Residential Parking Permit Policy. Your feedback has helped us finalise the Policy to ensure reasonable and equitable access to residential on-street parking for residents and their visitors.

A report on the Banyule Residential Parking Permit Policy was presented to Council on Monday 20 March 2023.

Watch a recording of the Council Meeting or view the Council minutes and report here.

At this meeting, Council resolved the following:

1. Endorse the final Banyule Residential Parking Permit Policy 2023 with a commencement date of 1 July 2023 with the following amendment:
   • Inclusion of a condition that, at the time of renewal, permit holders are to be advised that the following vehicle categories are not eligible for a parking permit: trucks, heavy vehicles, motor homes, caravans, boats, machinery or equipment, trailers or any vehicle or machinery that is designed or modified to be towed by another vehicle.
2. The current Residential Parking Permit Policy will continue to apply up to 30 June 2023.
3. Advise the community and submitters to the Banyule Residential Parking Permit Policy process of the adoption of the policy, as amended, thank them for their input and provide a copy of the policy on the Banyule website.
4. Receive reports on the following issues that have arisen during the consultation on the Residential Parking Permit Policy:
   • The implications that new swimming pools can have in diminishing the opportunities for onsite car parking and how this can be considered in Swimming Pool Planning Permit applications.
   • The parking of trucks, heavy vehicles, motor homes, caravans, boats, machinery or equipment, trailers or any vehicles or machinery that is designed or modified to be towed by another vehicle in residential streets and how this can be better addressed and managed.
   • The use of public street carparking by private hire vehicle operators and how this can be managed.
   • The use of public street carparking by customers of residential properties that are being operated for profit as short stay accommodation and how this can be managed.
   • The use of ‘hockey stick’ line markings on either side of cross-overs to support the unimpeded entry and egress from residential properties in timed parking zones and in areas where parking is limited. The report could consider the implications, including funding, of maintaining and increasing ‘hockey stick’ line markings.

The current Banyule Residential Parking Permit Policy will remain in place until 30 June 2023.

The final Banyule Residential Parking Permit Policy has been amended to include condition 1a. A report will be brought back to Council in the coming weeks on the issues raised in point 4.

Parking management is a challenge faced by Council.

Banyule residents consider traffic and car parking key issues in their local areas. Providing more on-street and off-street parking, however, can be problematic as it can increase traffic and congestion around activity centres, schools and key destinations. As many people are aware, there are already streets in Banyule with insufficient road space to accommodate traffic flow and on-street parking.

The Banyule Residential Parking Permit Policy 2023 will replace the Banyule Residential Parking Permit Policy 2016-2020, subject to adoption by Council on 20 March 2023.

Its purpose is to enable reasonable and equitable access to residential on-street public parking for residents and their visitors, while also preserving access for all other road users.

As part of the update, we proposed changes to three key areas of the Residential Parking Permit Policy including:

• A reduction in the maximum number of parking permits issued per dwelling from four to three. This is required because of increased demand for permits due to population growth and to ensure that all eligible people have an opportunity to find a place to park.
• We are joining three of the smaller parking areas in Ivanhoe. Areas 59, 60 and 61 will merge to form a new Area 60 to provide more opportunities for resident and visitor parking.
• Clarification of eligibility criteria, this includes removing the word ‘lot’ and replacing it with a clearer definition of who is eligible to apply for a parking permit.

Following feedback from the community, dot point two, the merging of zones 59, 60 and 61, was not included in the final Banyule Residential Parking Policy.

We have reviewed the existing BRPPP 2016-2020 and considered a number of elements that have changed the demand for parking within the municipality including:

Climate change: In Banyule, automotive emissions contribute to 13% of all emissions. Zero emissions transport is a key priority for Council through our Council Plan 2021-2025 and the Community Climate Action Plan 2020. Transitioning to zero emissions transport will require a major shift to active and public transport use.

Population: Banyule is changing and expanding to accommodate an increasing number of residents. Increased housing density, if not managed properly, can lead to more cars and traffic in the municipality.

Parking management: Providing additional on-street and off-street parking is problematic as it increases traffic movement around activity centres, schools and key destinations, adding to increased congestion in these areas. There are many streets in Banyule where there is insufficient road space to accommodate traffic flow and on-street parking.

The review process has also considered:

• Resident feedback on the existing permit policy and the scheme’s operation
• Council’s strategic priorities for community, climate action and sustainable transport
• Carparking documentation and benchmarking against other local government areas.

The BRPPP 2022 positions Banyule as a city with accessible, sustainable and active communities where there is fair and equitable access to local parking.