The Parking Management Policy outlines the tools Council can use to manage parking as well as the guidelines and conditions around parking restrictions and permit eligibility and application requirements.

Council is responsible for local parking arrangements, on-street spaces and restrictions, enforcement of parking regulations, management of parking permit schemes, administering statutory planning processes and advocating on parking matters on behalf of our community.

The Parking Management Policy assists Council in managing local parking arrangements while balancing the differing needs of the greater community.

Parking is currently managed through the Parking Management Policy (2019). This is the policy that is under review.

Parking space is limited and in high demand from competing uses. The Parking Management Policy helps Council ensure parking spaces are functioning well for the city and needs of all users are appropriately balanced.

Council resolved to review the Parking Management Policy in 2021, as shown in the timeline. It is important to review the Parking Management Policy regularly to ensure it appropriately considerers changing parking trends, reflects best practice and continues to meet the needs of our community.

The Parking Management Policy was originally adopted 2011 and revised in 2018 and 2019.

In 2021 Council considered a further revised draft policy at its meeting on 14 April, for more information on what was considered, see the Council Meeting minutes linked here

Since this time the Parking Management Policy has been undergone a minor review but has not fundamentally changed. The new Draft Parking Management Policy considers the evolving parking needs of our local community.

Following community feedback, we have abandoned the previously proposed parking restrictions arising from the Moreland Integrated Transport Strategy in all major activity centres. The new Parking Management Policy favours an approach that bases parking restrictions on local needs and use.

When drafting this policy, we have reviewed and benchmarked with other inner-city Councils regarding the availability, eligibility and affordability of parking permits—including those for subdivided properties and cut off dates.

We have also reviewed the draft policy under a variety of lenses including vulnerable persons, human centred, human rights and sustainability.

Currently, when a new dedicated car share bay is proposed, Council officers write to all properties within approximately 50 metres to ask whether they support this change or not. The bay is approved unless over half of these properties respond to the survey and at least 60 per cent of the responses oppose the bay.

The proposed change is to write to the adjacent property plus the next property on each side to check if there are any site-specific issues that need to be considered that were not apparent to Council officers.

The proposed change is in line with policies at the Cities of Yarra and Port Phillip and provides a more meaningful consultation process as it focuses on understanding site-specific issues.

We are proposing that Council Officers have the ability to make small-scale (affecting up to two parking spaces) changes to parking restrictions to address safety issues, facilitate public transport stops or provide short-term parking outside shops in mixed use developments.

We are also proposing that changes to more than two parking spaces for safety reasons can be made by Council Officers, if this is recommended by a road safety audit. Currently, these types of decisions need to go to a Council meeting which slows down the decision-making process.

When Council endorsed the Draft Parking Management Policy, it also resolved to consult with the community whether the first resident permit for each household should be free.

Currently, all permits are paid, although concession discounts do apply for Centrelink and Department of Veterans Affairs cardholders. This policy is in line with other nearby local councils such as Darebin, Yarra and Port Phillip.

Charging a fee for permits can incentivise people who have off-street parking options such as garages or driveways to use these instead, leaving on-street parking for other users.

No, Council is committed to meaningful engagement to ensure we manage local parking arrangements whilst balancing the differing needs of the greater community.

No, we are not introducing broad, 2-hour parking limits across Merri-bek.

We have had a process since 2011 for considering changes to parking restrictions on a local basis, and in consultation with properties in that area, or in areas of very high occupancy of parking spaces. This is not proposed to change.

Schedule 11 (clause 1(a)) of the Local Government Act 1989 empowers Council to manage parking restrictions and permits. This schedule is one of the saved provisions from the 1989 Act. Council’s Instrument of Sub-Delegation by the Chief Executive Officer to Council Staff delegates certain power, duty and functions to relevant officers

The draft policy is available for viewing via our conversations Merri-bek. You can provide comments directly via the form on this page (user sign up is required) or on the details listed via email, mail or in person.