Strategic objective: Community services and facilities are high-quality, sustainable, inclusive and strengthen resilience.

Budget 2022-23 highlight project: Canterbury Community Precinct

We are bringing people together by providing essential services and facilities through developments like our new Canterbury Community Precinct, located in Canterbury Gardens.

The money allocated to it will allow us to finish construction and open this new community precinct in early-2023, providing local early-years services and community programs.

This development includes heritage restoration works across the former Maternal and Child Health Centre, Canterbury Public Library and Bowls Club, which will connect to a new purpose-built facility, creating a space to support health, wellbeing and early education needs.

It will also give service providers a long-term home and help build strong community connections, by co-locating them in a shared space to be enjoyed by all.

Find out more about Theme 1: Community, Services and Facilities in the Boroondara Community Plan 2021-31.

Strategic objective: Green and open spaces are provided, well-utilised and enhanced.

Budget 2022-23 highlight project: Tree Strategy Action Plan Implementation

Green spaces are highly valued by our community. By preserving and increasing our urban forest, we aim to enhance Boroondara’s rich biodiversity and create opportunities for our community to connect with and enjoy their natural surroundings.

This is why we’re proposing to advance the implementation of our Tree Strategy Action Plan, with 1,000 additional trees to be funded and planted this financial year to accelerate greening and canopy cover.

These extra 1,000 trees are in addition to the 1,000 - 1,500 trees we’ve already committed to planting each year since the action plan was adopted in 2017. In total, these 2,500 trees in 2022-23 will go towards maintaining our City’s special leafy character and provide ongoing shade and environmental benefits.

Find out more about Theme 2: Parks and Green Spaces in the Boroondara Community Plan 2021-31.

Strategic objective: The environment is considered in all decision making.

Budget 2022-23 highlight project: Climate Action Plan Implementation

Climate change is a global issue that requires the support of a local response. Our community is passionate about making a difference, and we play an important role by considering the environment in all our decision-making.

This is why we are continuing to prioritise funding towards the delivery of our Climate Action Plan (CAP) Implementation Plan, which presents real, tangible actions we will undertake in partnership with our community.

Highlights we plan to deliver in 2022-23 include:

• developing an Urban Greening Strategy for Boroondara
• providing a program of advice and support for sustainable living, including a new focus on sustainable residential renovations
• implementing measures to continue reducing greenhouse gas emissions associated with Council buildings, including buying 100% renewable electricity for Council buildings and public lighting.

Find our more about Theme 3: The environment in the Boroondara Community Plan 2021-31.

Strategic objective: Protect the heritage and respect the character of Boroondara, while facilitating appropriate, well-designed development.

Budget 2022-23 highlight project: Boroondara Housing Strategy Review

We know our community values local heritage and our advocacy efforts to protect the distinct character of our shopping centres, neighbourhoods and streets. It is important to you that we maintain Boroondara’s uniqueness and make it an attractive place to live, work and play. You also want us to carefully manage new development.

This is why we are planning to conduct a comprehensive review and update of our Boroondara Housing Strategy. This will help us to carefully consider how best to meet our community’s housing needs over the next 15 years to protect Boroondara’s heritage and character and better understand issues around diversity, affordability, equity and sustainability.

Find out more about Theme 4: Neighbourhood Character and Heritage in the Boroondara Community Plan 2021-31.

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

Budget 2022-23 highlight project: Shared path and park lighting upgrades

Our community values travel options that are safe, efficient, and accessible to everyone.

Active transport such as cycling and walking remains a popular mode of transport in Boroondara, which is why we continue to invest in upgrading lighting along our shared paths in our parks and reserves. These lighting upgrades will help to improve the level of safety and security along popular commuting and recreational activity routes, used by the community to travel to work or for leisure and fitness.

This coming year we will explore lighting solutions, including the use of solar and energy efficient LED lighting, for the Gardiners Creek Trail underpass at Toorak Road and along the Anniversary Trail between Whitehorse Road and Canterbury Road.

Find out more about Theme 5 : Moving Around in the Boroondara Community Plan 2021-31.

Strategic objective: Support local businesses and enhance shopping precincts, fostering a strong economy and welcoming places for the community.

Budget 2022-23 highlight project: Maling Road Placemaking implementation

We know you value our shopping strips, including places where you can shop, socialise and dine out.

In 2020, we unveiled the community’s vision for the future of Maling Road in Canterbury. The Maling Road Place Plan was adopted with strong support from the community and will strengthen its unique village feel, playful public spaces, and enhance community and trader engagement through its streetscape design.

So far we have made significant progress to upgrade the laneway connecting Canterbury Station to the shopping strip, and plan to continue the implementation of our Place Plan vision this coming financial year. We also plan to fund smaller arts and culture events and experiences to attract people to the shopping strip.

This is part of our ongoing and collaborative way of improving our public places and contributing to a thriving local economy through placemaking with the community.

Find our more about Theme 6: Local Economy in the Boroondara Community Plan 2021-31.

Strategic objective: Ensure decisions are financially and socially responsible through transparent and ethical processes.

Budget 2022-23 highlight project: Transforming Boroondara: Delivery and program support, system development and implementation, system licensing and maintenance.

We are transforming Boroondara to improve customer experiences and service delivery across Council, making it easier for customers to get the information and services they need in a way that’s convenient for them.

Regardless of how you contact us, we will work to make these interactions simpler, more efficient and personalised. This includes supporting people to do more online and providing access to services 24/7 with more opportunities for self-service.

It’s important that we also reduce the time it takes to respond to customer requests and, where possible, reduce our cost to serve. This is why we are prioritising funding to better support processes and technology to modernise Council’s core business systems, which will enable a more responsive and efficient service.

Find out more about Theme 7: Leadership and Governance in the Boroondara Community Plan 2022-31.