Theme 5: Moving around

Major achievement

Strategic objective

Travel options are safe, efficient and accessible with active and public transport encouraged.

Major initiative 5.6

Represent the Boroondara community in decision making by advocating to the Victorian government in relation to public and active transport, open space, urban design and environmental opportunities associated with the North East Link and the Union Road Level Crossing Removal projects.

North East Link and Union Road level crossing removal

The North East Link (NEL) and Union Road level crossing removal (LXR) are 2 major Victorian Government infrastructure projects impacting our community. Since their announcement, we have been advocating on behalf of and with our community for positive outcomes for Boroondara.

In FY2022-23 financial year, we focused on:

  • reviewing and monitoring designs, early works and construction works associated with the NEL and Union Road level crossing removal projects in Boroondara
  • ensuring the projects, despite their significant impacts, leave a positive legacy for the local community
  • ensuring our community’s needs are taken into account by listening to our residents and advocating on their behalf
  • building relationships with key stakeholders throughout the project areas.
An aerial view of the Eastern Freeway with the Freeway golf course alongside it

Our efforts this year enabled us to secure funding from the North East Link Program (NELP) for canopy tree planting at Freeway Golf Course, and maintenance of NELP-funded canopy trees at Hyde Park.

In addition, we continued to:

  • identify sites for further tree planting to offset NEL tree removal
  • review plans for site investigations planned by NELP and their contractors to ensure impacts on residents and amenity were reduced where possible.

We worked closely with Level Project Removal Project (LXRP) throughout the Big Dig (mid-February to late-May 2023) for the Union Road LXR, which was a difficult time for residents and traders. We advocated for shuttle buses to provide local transport and shopping incentives to support local traders. During this period, we ensured services such as bin collections continued as normal and endeavoured to protect parking spaces in the village.  Our work with LXRP also involved refining designs for the extended Union Road Bridge and open space to provide green spaces that support community activity, connection and relaxation in the Surrey Hills shopping precinct.

Theme 5 performance

This is a breakdown of the strategic indicators, progress of initiatives and other service performance indicators for this theme. You can find out more detail about these indicators and previous year’s results in the full report.

You can also read through our continuous improvement initiatives, community engagement, and benchmarking activities for this theme in the full report.

Strategic indicators

A number of our strategic indicators saw consistent or improved results in FY2022-23. The strategic indicators that met or exceeded the forecast include the following.

Percentage of footpath inspections and make safe actions completed within the timeframes as specified in the Road Management Plan

Forecast: 95% to 100%

2022-23 result: 95%

 

Number of sustainable transport programs delivered to primary schools

Forecast: 2 to 8

2022-23 result: 6

 

Number of advocacy initiatives related to public transport services

Forecast: 10 to 15

2022-23 result: 19

Some indicators did not meet our forecast this year:

Satisfaction with sealed local roads

Forecast: 73 to 76 (out of 100)

2022-23 result: 67 (out of 100)

We have seen a decline of 4 points in the Customer Satisfaction Survey results. Significant rain events in October to November 2022 increased road defects, which may have contributed to this. Our performance on sealed local roads is still 6 points higher than metro (61) and 19 points higher than the state level (48).

 

Percentage of sealed local roads that are below the renewal intervention level set in the Road Management Plan

Forecast: 95% to 100%

2022-23 result: 91%

Increased funding has seen a 1.64% improvement on the 2021-22 result, and additional funding and new modelling indicate that we will return to the annual target by the end of the 2025-26 financial year.

 

Average daily bicycle users for Gardiners Creek Trail, the Anniversary Trail, Koonung Trail and Main Yarra Trail

Forecast: 3,900 to 4,500

2022-23 result: 3,239

Seasonal influence over autumn and the start of winter have impacted bicycle use, with a very wet winter and spring.

Satisfaction with local shared paths for cycling and walking as a way to get around Boroondara

Forecast: 67% to 70%

2022-23 result: 61%

In line with perception last year, social factors in how people now live and work in their local areas means there continues to be a larger proportion of people utilising these spaces than pre-COVID. The impact of works and delays may have been a factor in satisfaction levels from the year before. This includes the closure of the Walmer Street Bridge while a new northern land bridge is built, the lack of progress by the Department of Transport and Planning on significant projects like the Anniversary Trail crossing at Toorak Road, and delays in delivering the lighting initiatives for sections of the Anniversary Trail.

 

Number of traffic counts and surveys used to investigate, assess, and respond to traffic and parking issues

Forecast: 200 to 220

2022-23 result: 171

Following COVID-19 impacted years, traffic counts and surveys restarted with a significant increase from 95 in FY2021-22. This year’s result was impacted by the extended Union Road closure between February and May 2023, which affected counts and surveys in the surrounding area.

Progress of initiatives in the Budget

Initiatives that were completed in FY2022-23:

  • Seek to provide an integrated bicycle network that is safe, connected, protected, efficient and appealing to bicycle users of all ages and abilities by developing and adopting a bicycle strategy.
  • Provide a safe and accessible shared path for the community by advocating to the Victorian Government for the Box Hill to City cycling corridor project.
  • Encourage public transport use and improve access and safety through a range of infrastructure initiatives for the Walmer Street Bridge, Yarra Boulevard and public transport services including disability access through advocacy with the Victorian Government.
  • Encourage sustainable travel options by undertaking bicycle promotional and behaviour change programs for children including travel plans for primary and high schools and Safe Routes to School initiatives.
  • Represent the Boroondara community in decision making by advocating to the Victorian government in relation to public and active transport, open space, urban design and environmental opportunities associated with the North East Link and the Union Road Level Crossing Removal project.

The one initiative for this theme that commenced in FY2022-23 and is 75% complete was improving safety and security of shared paths and paths by progressively installing energy efficient lighting. For this we are progressively lighting the extensive network of shared paths and paths with a focus on the Anniversary Trail between Whitehorse Road and Mont Albert Road.

Other service performance indicators

The following other service performance indicators and measures are based on the FY2022-23, unless stated otherwise.  For more detail, including supporting commentary and how these results were calculated, see the full annual report PDF.

Roads

Sealed local roads maintained to condition standards

FY2022-23: 91%

FY2021-22: 92%

 

Cost of sealed local road reconstruction

FY2022-23: $115

FY2021-22: $104

 

Cost of sealed local road resealing

FY2022-23: $30

FY2021-22: $27

Satisfaction with sealed local roads

FY2022-23: 67

FY2021-22: 71

 

Sealed local road requests

FY2022-23: 97 requests per 100 kilometres of sealed local road

FY2021-22: 66 requests per 100 kilometres of sealed local road