Summary of policy ┃ Community consultation ┃ Policy changes based on your feedback ┃ Contact us

Thank you to everyone who shared their feedback during community consultation. See the changes we made based on your feedback.

Over 1,200 people visited this page during consultation, and we received more than 155 responses through the survey and written submissions. There were 16 community members who provided feedback in-person at a public meeting with Councillors.

The final policy was adopted by Councillors on Monday 22 September 2025. See the adopted Road Materials Policy.


Summary of the policy

Boroondara’s ageing road network means many of our roads and laneways need rebuilding. Choosing the right materials is essential to keep them safe, long-lasting and usable for everyone.

To guide our repair work, we’ve developed the Road Materials Policy. It sets a consistent approach for selecting materials when we build or upgrade roads, helping us make decisions that reflect our community’s values and practical needs.

The policy balances our key priorities:

  • using our limited bluestone supply carefully
  • protecting the unique character and heritage of our neighbourhoods
  • managing the cost of road upgrades and maintenance responsibly
  • considering accessibility, practicality and safety.

Community consultation

In March and April 2024, we invited the community to share their thoughts on the draft policy. We wanted to understand your views on:

  • our proposed new approach for determining the materials we use when maintaining and renewing concrete roads
  • the new policy in general.

How we promoted the consultation

  • Email alert to people signed up to this website, whose interests match this topic
  • Social media posts on Council’s Facebook and Instagram accounts
  • Fortnightly Feed email newsletter to around 35,000 community members
  • Postcards across all Boroondara libraries
  • With stakeholder groups including:
    • Boroondara Heritage Group
    • Boroondara Residents' Action Group
    • Boroondara Bicycle User Group
    • Department of Transport and Planning
    • Local State and Federal Members of Parliament.


Who participated in the consultation and how?

  • 1,280 individual people visited this page during the consultation
  • 126 people took part in the survey
  • 6 people joined the 2 walks to discuss bluestone kerb and channels and concrete roads
  • 29 sent a written submission to us
  • 16 community members provided feedback in-person at a public meeting with councillors.

Of those who participated in the survey:

  • The majority live in Camberwell (22%), Hawthorn (18%) and Kew (9%), with 2% living outside Boroondara. People from all suburbs in Boroondara participated.
  • 51% of respondents are men.
  • The age groups we heard from most are 35 to 49 years (23%) and 60 to 69 years (21%). People from all age groups participated.


Petitions

We received an electronic petition with 436 signatures:

  • 57 signatories from Boroondara
  • 282 from other Victorian postcodes
  • 97 from outside Victoria.

We received a written petition with 60 signatures:

  • 57 signatories from Boroondara
  • 3 from other Victorian postcodes.


What we heard

  • 74% of survey respondents want Council to keep original bluestone kerbs and gutters across Boroondara.
  • Many community members didn’t support the idea of replacing all bluestone gutters with a simpler single-stone layout.
  • Many people asked that, where repairs or reconstruction are needed, original bluestone gutters be restored to closely match their original design.
  • The Boroondara Bicycle Users Group raised safety concerns about rough bluestone, noting it can cause issues for cyclists and pedestrians, including wheel traps and tripping hazards.
  • The electronic petition asked Council to delay finalising the policy until a heritage consultant completes a detailed study of bluestone laneways, kerbs, channels and driveway crossovers.
  • 27% of survey respondents told us they want to preserve concrete roads, even if they aren’t protected by a heritage overlay.
  • 47% of survey respondents suggested replacing all concrete roads with asphalt.
  • Some community members noted that while concrete is durable, it has a bigger environmental footprint than asphalt, and this was noted by some community members.
  • 12 survey respondents raised environmental concerns and said Council should do more.

Some streets have heritage value because of their original design. In those streets, the drainage system – called spoon drains – is part of what makes them significant.

At the public committee meeting in July, some residents shared their concerns about replacing existing bluestone spoon drains with the proposed “one up, one down” kerb and channel layout.

Community members highlighted that:

  • the existing bluestone spoon drains are effective at managing stormwater
  • the proposed new layout may be less effective and could have higher long-term costs
  • they would prefer to retain the spool drains rather than replace them.

The Boroondara Bicycle Users Group raised concerns that rough bluestone can be unsafe for cyclists.

Uneven surfaces and worn bluestone may create hazards for bikes and pedestrians, especially at crossovers. Council also receives regular feedback from the community about these bluestone surface issues.


Policy changes based on your feedback

Your feedback helped shape the final policy in the following ways:

Bluestone kerbs and channels

We’ll preserve bluestone kerbs and channels across Boroondara, as long as they’re still in good condition. In the policy, we’ve clarified the areas where we’ll use a standard single pitcher channel for the gutters.

This decision was made based on several considerations:

  • Safety – Traditional bluestone can be uneven. Using a single layout on some roads helps make them safer for everyone, including pedestrians and cyclists.
  • Heritage and character – The approach preserves the historic look and feel of our streets.
  • Sustainability – Reusing existing bluestone reduces the need for purchasing and sourcing new materials.


Heritage study

The proposed Heritage Action Plan 2025–29 plans to formally investigate the heritage value of Council-owned bluestone and concrete infrastructure. To read more and follow this consultation, visit our Draft Heritage Strategy consultation page.

Until this review is complete, we’ll continue to use the Boroondara Planning Scheme and Heritage Overlays to:

  • guide which roads, kerbs and laneways are protected for their heritage value
  • preserve bluestone or concrete elements listed as significant during works.


Environmental

  • We’ll make sure that whenever possible, Council will use recycled and eco-friendly materials that meet VicRoads’ standards.
  • We’ll also keep exploring new ways to manage our roads more sustainably beyond this policy.


Spoon drains

Thanks to your suggestions, we will take the following actions when repairing or upgrading roads in heritage streets with a statement of significance:

  • reinstate spoon drains to preserve the heritage character
  • keep existing bluestone spoon drains where:
    • there is enough space for the street and parking
    • they do not interfere with the drainage system, and
    • they meet accessibility standards so everyone can use the street safely.

We will only replace spoon drains with kerb and channel gutters when there are concerns for safety or accessibility.


Ensuring consistency, accessibility and safety

If site conditions or unforeseen issues arise, the relevant Director may use discretion in selecting road materials, provided that:

  • the decision aligns with this policy’s objectives, relevant standards, and safety requirements; and
  • the decision is properly documented.