We have cancelled the Council Meeting for this project following the withdrawal of federal funding for additional commuter car parks in Boroondara. Read Council’s response to this decision.


About the proposal

We are proposing to build a new car parking facility with around 200 spaces across a surface level and 2 levels of underground parking at the existing Wattle Valley Road Council-owned car park in Canterbury. This would be funded by the Australian Government as part of its Urban Congestion Fund. We would receive $15 million from this fund to complete the project.

This proposal will:

  • keep the existing 85 car parking spaces at surface level
  • potentially relocate some on-street car parking spaces from Maling Road to create more public space.

This proposal is part of our commitment to revitalising Maling Road through placemaking, as outlined in the Maling Road Place Plan.

It will help to achieve our community’s vision by:

  • improving accessibility to the area for all ages and preferred ways of travelling
  • provide more long-term parking for park and ride and also enable use in evenings and weekends for shopping and dining
  • opening up more public space for greenery and wider footpaths through potential existing car park relocations.

Artist's impressions of the Canterbury proposal

The ideas in these impressions may change.

Investigations so far

We received initial funding from the Australian Government to complete feasibility studies. These studies looked at possible sites on Council-owned land near Canterbury Station to accommodate additional car parking spaces.

In 2019-20, we completed 2 stages of community consultation to develop the Maling Road Place Plan. During these stages of consultation, our community told us they supported improved access and parking options in this area.

Potential benefits

Wattle Valley Road is the most suitable location for the additional car parking spaces.

This is because the location can:

  • help to support outcomes from the Maling Road Place Plan and the Boroondara Community Plan 2021–31
  • use a Council-owned car park to accommodate additional parking spaces underground, which will help keep the character of the area and accommodate landscaping improvements
  • allow the relocation of some on-street parking from Maling Road to create more public space
  • provide a safe pedestrian connection between Maling Road and Canterbury Station
  • encourage greater use of public transport because it is close to the station (within 3 minutes walking distance)
  • help us avoid changes to existing residential or commercial properties, public space and green space
  • support other environmentally sustainable features, such as bicycle parking and electric vehicle charging.