Parking policies and actions set out in this strategy are summarised below:
Strategy Policy 1: On-Street Parking
Council will ensure that on-street parking is efficiently utilised and best services the parking needs of land uses fronting the road network.
Actions
-
As Ringwood develops as a CAD, Council will consider the implementation of appropriate time based on-street parking restrictions that best reflects the needs of the land uses fronting the road network.
-
Council will seek that medium and long term parking demand is catered for by off-street private and publicly owned parking facilities.
-
In consultation with local stakeholders, Council will periodically review parking restrictions with a view to possibly altering operating hours or restriction type where demand requires.
-
Council will periodically monitor the utilisation of on-street parking spaces and will investigate measures to further manage on-street parking should occupancy levels consistently exceed 85%.
Strategy Policy 2: Public Off-Street Parking
Council will ensure that there is an appropriate level of medium and long term parking provided in off-street parking facilities.
Actions
-
Council will undertake regular maintenance of Council owned off-street car parks.
-
Council will investigate means of improving the safety and amenity of Council owned off-street car parks.
-
Where feasible, Council will increase publicly provided parking stock either through the expansion of existing facilities or through acquiring a proportion of parking provided by new developments.
-
Council will improve the promotion of existing Council owned off-street car parks.
-
Council will seek that any future provision of public parking facilities is not provided for at ground level, particularly in front of buildings in the area between the building and the road reserve.
-
Council will undertake a Feasibility Study, by CAD precinct, to identify specific opportunities to increase publicly provided parking stock and examine opportunities for shared or consolidated parking via purpose built facilities or within existing or future development.
Strategy Policy 3: Private Off-Street Parking
Council will require that privately operated off-street car parks servicing large scale developments are managed in an appropriate way to help deliver the Ringwood CAD objectives.
Actions
-
Council will work alongside employers to encourage the uptake and implementation of travel initiatives such as Travel Plans to promote sustainable transport options.
-
Council will generally seek that parking restrictions at privately operated off-street car parks discourage long-term commuter parking by employees, however, where there is surplus parking, there may be opportunities for the car park operator to offer these spaces to the public for long term (commuter) parking.
-
Council will encourage the increased enforcement of privately operated off-street car parks.
-
Council will seek that any future provision of private off-street parking is not provided for at ground level, particularly in front of buildings in the area between the building and the road reserve.
-
Council will request that all new developments provide directional signage to car park facilities.
Strategy Policy 4: Rail Commuter Parking
Council supports the State Government’s proposal not to provide any increase in commuter parking at Ringwood Station. Council will explore opportunities to improve existing parking infrastructure at informal car parks servicing Ringwood Rail Station to enhance the safety and efficiency of existing parking facilities.
In principal, Council will support proposals to increase and improve car parking at Heatherdale Rail Station or indeed at any other rail station within the municipality where there is an identified need.
Council will support and actively encourage schemes that help reduce the demand for parking at Ringwood Rail Station including improvements to non-car transport infrastructure and services and kiss and ride facilities.
Actions
-
Council will support infrastructure improvements to enhance the efficiency and safety of informal commuter parking areas located off Station Street and Thanet Court.
-
Likewise, Council will support the upgrade and formalisation of the commuter overspill car park at Heatherdale Station located to the south of Molan Street.
-
Council will encourage infrastructure improvements that provide safe, convenient and direct pedestrian and cycle access to both Ringwood and Heatherdale rail stations.
-
Council will support measures that enhance multi-modal travel information for passengers.
-
Council will encourage and support development that potentially enables any excess parking during non-peak periods to be made available for all-day commuter parking.
Strategy Policy 5: Residential Parking
In residential streets which are shown to be impacted from an overspill of parking from nonresidential uses, Council will ensure that residents are provided with priority parking.
Actions
-
Council will support the expansion of the existing resident priority parking scheme in streets which are shown to experience over-spill parking.
-
Council will investigate the development of a consolidated electronic system operated by a designated Council department to administrate the resident permit scheme.
-
Council will investigate and implement a suitable permit system for genuine visitors to residential areas.
-
Council will generally seek that parking generated by new and existing business premises in predominantly residential areas is catered for on-site or within publicly owned off-street car parks.
Strategy Policy 6: Connectivity of Parking Facilities
Council will promote improved connectivity for vehicles between existing and future car parking facilities.
Actions
Strategy Policy 7: Construction Zones
Council will introduce a Construction Zone permit system to regulate the provision of on-street parking space allocated to support construction activity on adjacent land. Construction Zones shall be confined to the sites frontage (subject to No Stopping controls) and will be subject to a rental and administration fee.
Strategy Policy 8: Garbage Collection
To minimise the number of locations where access to garbage bins is restricted by on-street parking, Council will require that new developments provide provision for the storage and collection of garbage on-site by private collection.
In new developments where it is demonstrated to Council that the on-site storage and collection of garbage is not feasible, the applicant will be required to put forward a method of off-site garbage collection that minimises the impact on road, parking and pedestrian access.
This may include special collection points or the rationalisation of bin numbers.
Strategy Policy 9: Alternate Parking
Where appropriate, Council will support reduced parking provision at new developments that provide access for building occupants to car share facilities.
In the submission of any development application incorporating car share schemes, the developer will be required to provide supporting justification for any reduction in parking provision and demonstrate that the proposed car share facility can adequately support the needs of the development.
Where appropriate, Council will approve the use of alternate vehicle parking systems in new residential and office developments to ensure that an adequate provision of car parking is achieved on site.
In the submission of any development application incorporating alternate parking systems, the developer will be required to demonstrate to Council that adequate access and egress is available to parking spaces at all times and that the parking system will not adversely impact the surrounding road network.
Council will require that development applications meet the required statutory provision for bicycle and motorcycle parking at new developments. In addition to this, Council will seek that the location and design of bicycle and motorcycle parking within new developments is given preference over car parking.
Strategy Policy 10: Directional Signage
Council will ensure that an appropriate level of directional signage is available to guide motorists to parking facilities in the Ringwood CAD area.
Actions
-
Council will install directional signage to each existing car park containing over 50 parking spaces that provides publicly available parking.
-
Council will require that new developments containing over 50 publicly available parking spaces
-
provide adequate parking guidance signage to the parking facilities.
Strategy Policy 11: Enforcement
Council will provide an appropriate level of parking enforcement that seeks to fairly assist with achieving the objectives of this Parking Strategy.
Actions
-
As Ringwood develops, Council will undertake appropriate levels of enforcement within the CAD area.
-
Council will monitor resources with a view to ensuring that appropriate levels of enforcement are undertaken.
-
Council will develop a consolidated electronic system operated by a designated Council department to administrate parking enforcement.
-
Council will obtain a set of electronic parking plans and make them available for use by the Enforcement, Permits and Engineering Departments. The plans will be updated regularly to reflect any changes to parking restrictions and will be recorded on an electronic registry.
-
Council will review the level of fines for parking infringements as required to ensure that fines are a sufficient deterrent to prevent illegal parking.
-
Council will investigate the potential of providing enforcement in privately owned car parks in the future. In the interim, Council will encourage increased enforcement of privately owned off-street car parks by car park operators.
Strategy Policy 12: New Developments
In working partnership with DPCD, Council will periodically review and develop parking rates specified in Clause 52.06 of the Planning Scheme that ensure that the aspirations of the CAD vision are being met.
Council will encourage the transition to lower parking rates by making allowances for developers to include existing parking stock within the ownership of the development to support future development proposals.
Strategy Policy 13: Car Parking Contribution Fund
Following a feasibility study to be undertaken to identify specific opportunities to increase the provision of publicly provided car parks, Council will further investigate opportunities to develop a car parking contribution fund that will form part of the Maroondah Planning Scheme.
Actions
-
Council will undertake a Feasibility Study, by CAD precinct, to identify specific opportunities to increase publicly provided parking stock either via purpose built facilities or within existing or future development.
-
Council will explore the potential and advocate for a funding mechanism that allows cash in lieu to be collected and used to address parking issues and transport initiatives that help reduce the demand for car parking in the CAD.