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Traffic and parking around Yarra Valley Grammar School

Council has received community feedback about traffic and pedestrian safety, congestion and parking issues around Yarra Valley Grammar in Ringwood associated with ongoing internal redevelopment works at the school.

Page last updated: September 2024.

Issues raised by the community

Feedback received from local residents and the school community include concerns about:

Safety of pedestrians crossing Kalinda Road near Gate A
Traffic congestion, especially on Kalinda Road near Gate A
Traffic congestion on arterial roads like Plymouth and Warranwood Roads, including at the intersection with Kalinda and Bemboka Roads
Need for pick up / drop off parking within the school grounds
Illegal and unsafe parking on local streets (including streets connected to Tandarra Drive, Parkgate Drive and Ashcombe Drive)
Parking during the school day by school staff on local streets.

Birds-eye-view of area surrounding school:

Yarra Valley Grammar aerial map

Issues investigation

Council’s Traffic Engineers have reviewed the current operation of the road network surrounding the school during peak pick up and drop off periods.

Council has raised the community concerns with the school and sought to understand the status of the internal redevelopment works and management practices that are currently in place for school access and parking.

There is limited opportunity for Council to manage construction parking and access associated with the current redevelopment works, which was approved through a State Government issued Planning Permit. Generally, a Council issued Planning Permit for a development of this scale would require the establishment of a Construction Management Plan to manage the traffic and parking impacts of the works on local road network.

The State Government have implemented a process for fast-tracked assessment and approval of planning permits. This process relates to the construction of buildings and works at existing non-government schools with an estimated cost of $3 million or more. More information is available at the Victorian Government website.

Issues status and response

Parking management in local streets

Council has observed illegal and unsafe parking near intersections, across driveways, within signed No Stopping zones, and on nature strips.

Council’s Parking Officers are enforcing existing and new parking restrictions. Please be mindful of this and drive safely through the area.

Council is continuing investigations into parking conditions in the precinct surrounding Yarra Valley Grammar and has undertaken engagement with residents in surrounding streets. Council has installed parking restrictions as outlined in the table below. Further, an expert traffic engineering consultant has completed a traffic and parking assessment of the Tandarra Drive precinct leading to consultation with affected residents regarding proposed parking restrictions. View the traffic report.(PDF, 2MB)

Parking management on Kalinda Road and within the school

The current parking restrictions on Kalinda Road were implemented in 2022 during the school’s Junior School redevelopment project. During that period the Junior School car park was closed to drop-off and pick-up parking.

Signed restrictions were installed at strategic locations on Kalinda Road to provide drop-off and pick-up facilities (No Parking) and short-term parking facilities (½P). Parents are encouraged to use these facilities for quick and convenient drop-off and pick-up near the school grounds.

More recently, Yarra Valley Grammar has rented private parking to accommodate additional off-street staff parking near the school buildings. The school has also hired contract parking attendants to monitor and maintain the flow of traffic on-site.

Pedestrian safety and traffic conditions on Kalinda Road near Gate A

Council understands that changes to parking and access within the school may be contributing to additional parent/guardian/carer parking in local streets and an increase in families and students crossing Kalinda Road near Gate A.

This area is equipped with a 40 km/h school speed zone, well-maintained footpath facilities, and a supervised children’s crossing on Kalinda Road near the midpoint of the school frontage.

Council is strongly encouraging parents/guardians/carers to exercise patience and practice safe road habits when dropping off and picking up children.

Pedestrians crossing unsafely

Traffic conditions on Plymouth Road and Warranwood Road

Council understands that traffic conditions in the precinct are influenced by heavy traffic flows during peak periods on Plymouth Road and Warranwood Road. This causes significant congestion at the roundabout with Kalinda Road and Bemboka Road. Plymouth Road and Warranwood Road are arterial roads under the care and management of the Victorian Department of Transport and Planning (DTP, formerly VicRoads).

Council continues to engage with other tiers of government for improvements to the arterial road network to address traffic conditions in the precinct.

A recent improvement project undertaken following Council advocacy was the formalisation of two lanes in each direction on Plymouth Road between Narr-Maen Drive and Yarra Road to increase traffic flow in the area. The project was undertaken by DTP with funding from the Australian Government's 'Building Our Future' Program.

Any proposed investigation and mitigations actions will be proportionate to the expected duration of the impacts, and are subject to a traffic engineering assessment, Council budget processes and resource availability.

Actions taken

Since the start of 2024, the following changes have been implemented and works undertaken to address the traffic and parking issues.

Stage	Works
Completed - April 2024	Yarra Valley Grammar undertook initiatives to improve on-site parking management, including converting parking at Gate B to a drop off and pick up zone.
Completed - May 2024	No Stopping signs installed at Kalinda Road and Ashcombe Drive intersection to reinforce the Road Rule which prohibits stopping within 10 metres of an intersection without signals.
Completed - July 2024	Reinstated intersection line marking on Barnston Place, Upton Court and Woodchurch Close at Parkgate Drive to improve delineation of statutory No Stopping zones and traffic lanes.
Completed - July 2024	2P parking signs installed along The Common Room on Kalinda Road frontage.
Completed - July 2024	Part-time No Stopping signs installed on the north side of Spring Court to ensure adequate access.
Completed - July 2024	Part-time No Stopping signs installed on one side of Parkgate Drive between Kalinda Road and Barnston Place to improve traffic flow. Resident engagement conducted regarding proposal to extend part-time No Stopping restrictions on one side of Parkgate Drive between Barnston Place and Mundara Drive. Proposal not proceeding at this time with regard to current conditions and resident responses.
Completed - July 2024	No Stopping signs installed along bend of Ashcombe Drive near Liris Court. Resident engagement conducted regarding proposal to install 2P restrictions on one side of Ashcombe Drive between Kalinda road and Liris Court. Proposal not proceeding at this time with regard to current conditions and resident responses.
Pending	Programmed installation of short-term parking signs on the west side of Kalinda Road between Tandarra Drive and Parkgate Drive.
Pending	July 2024 - Completed a traffic and parking assessment of the Tandarra Drive precinct, undertaken by an expert traffic engineering consultant. View the report.(PDF, 2MB) Programmed installation of a mix of part-time No Stopping and 2P restrictions on the eastern section of Tandarra Drive.
Pending	Commenced assessment of potential pedestrian crossing facility on Kalinda Road near Yarra Valley Grammar Gate A, including assessment of proposed intersection improvements on Kalinda Road at Gate A and Parkgate Drive. The assessment has incorporated engagement with the Victorian Department of Transport and Planning (DTP, formerly VicRoads,) and an expert traffic engineering consultant.

Provide your feedback

Should you have any feedback on traffic and parking issues in the Yarra Valley Grammar School Precinct in addition to the matters raised above, please submit your feedback online.

Submit feedback

Council will use this information to assess any required changes to the operation of its road network to address concerns and may forward this feedback to Yarra Valley Grammar as determined by the issue raised.

Further Information

For further information on the investigation, please contact Council’s Traffic and Transport Engineering Team on 9298 4292 or via email to maroondah@maroondah.vic.gov.au

For further information on traffic and parking in Maroondah, please see Parking and traffic | Maroondah City Council