OUTCOME OF CONSULTATION ON REROUTING BUS ROUTE 605

Thank you for your involvement in the consultation gauging community support on whether bus route 605 should be redirected along Malvern Road and Kooyong Road from its current route along Clendon Road and Rose Street in Armadale. This consultation was prompted by a resident petition presented to Council on 5 February 2024.

The consultation period ran from 27 May to 23 June 2024 with 2,227 letters sent to owners and occupiers in the catchment area of the existing and proposed bus route 605. The letter linked to an online Connect page (www.connectstonnington.vic.gov.au/605) providing more information and an opportunity to provide feedback. Corflute posters linking to the Connect page were also installed on bus stops in the area. The Connect Page had 398 page views and 149 contributions. 23 contributions were made via email, letter, or over the phone.

Across all feedback formats, 62% (102) of respondents use bus route 605 while 38% (62) do not. 65% (107) of respondents would like to see no change to the existing bus route and stops while 35% (57) would like to see the route changed as per the petition proposal.

At the 5 August 2024 Council meeting, Councillors unanimously endorsed the Officer recommendation to accept the majority community position of wanting no change to bus route 605.

Next steps

Council Officers will pass on relevant matters raised by the community, such as safety concerns, to the Victorian Government’s Department of Transport and Planning for consideration in the usual manner. Officers will also continue to advocate to the Department of Transport and Planning in line with Council’s Public Transport Advocacy Plan calling for improvements to bus service frequency, reliability, and connectivity.

For more information or if you have any questions, please contact Coordinator Transport Planning, Nuno Pires on 8290 1333 or email transportplanning@stonnington.vic.gov.au

BUS ROUTE 605 - CONSULTATION

BUS ROUTE 605 – CONSULTATION TO MEASURE COMMUNITY SUPPORT TO REROUTE BUS SERVICE

We are seeking your opinion on whether bus route 605 should be redirected along Malvern Road and Kooyong Road from its current route along Clendon Road and Rose Street in Armadale.

It is important to note, all public transport services within the City of Stonnington are planned and operated by the Victorian Government’s Department of Transport and Planning (DTP), who are also responsible for any decision around the rerouting of bus 605.

A resident petition requesting bus route 605 be redirected from Clendon Road and Rose Street was presented to Council on 5 February 2024, where Council agreed to:

“Consult affected residents on the proposed changes to bus route 605, as outlined in the resident petition submitted to Council, in order to understand broader community support or otherwise for the proposed changes.”

A summary of the petition and action taken to date is available at stonnington.vic.gov.au/minutes - Council meeting 5 February 2024 – Agenda item 8.7 - Response to Petition – Moving of Bus Route 605.

Submit your feedback in the online survey by Sunday 23 June 2024 and give your opinion on whether you support bus route 605 being redirected from Clendon Road and Rose Street to Malvern Road and Kooyong Road.

Please be aware one response per address will be recorded. If you are unable to provide your response online please contact Principal Transport Planner, Douglas Rowland on 8290 1333 or email transportplanning@stonnington.vic.gov.au

Please note, redirecting bus route 605 would require new bus stops on Kooyong and Malvern roads. The new stops would likely be separate to the existing tram stops and would require the removal of some parking spaces.

In August 2023, the City of Stonnington and the Victorian Government’s Department of Transport and Planning (DTP) received a petition from Armadale residents requesting bus 605 be redirected away from Clendon Road and Rose Street and rerouted to Malvern Road and Kooyong Road (refer map below).

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Map from resident petition showing current route (orange line) and their preferred route (black dashed line)

The petition cited concerns around road safety, air and noise pollution and the adequacy of the local streets to accommodate a bus service. The petition was supported by an assessment by traffic consultant, Impact Australia, commissioned by the petitioners.

Following receipt of the petition, our Transport and Parking team met with DTP - the Victorian Government agency responsible for the planning and management of public transport in Stonnington.

DTP stated they had also received messages from residents in relevant streets against moving the bus route citing road safety concerns on Malvern Road (including for children who use the bus), that an altered route would connect poorly to Toorak Train Station, and that the bus is a well-established route used by others not involved in the petition.

DTP also raised concerns over conflict between bus stops and tram stops and the loss of parking if the route was to be moved to Malvern Road.

Overall, DTP did not commit to any action on the proposal, stating they had found no operational or safety issues and will not be undertaking any further investigation at this time.

At the close of consultation, all feedback will be collated to determine the level of community support for rerouting bus 605.

The level of support will determine whether we advocate further to DTP to have the bus rerouted or take no further action at this time.

To be advised of the consultation outcome survey respondents can provide their email address, and we will publish the results on our website.

For more information or if you have any questions please contact our Principal Transport Planner, Douglas Rowland on 8290 1333 or email transportplanning@stonnington.vic.gov.au

Your privacy and personal information

The personal information requested on this project is being collected by Council for the purpose of facilitating the proposed parking restrictions outlined in this proposal.

To find out how your personal information will be used by Council please visit the privacy policy page.

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