Please note: this does not give you approval for a parklet. The enquiry form aims to assess your eligibility for a parklet. If you pass this assessment, you must submit an application.

After you submit the enquiry, one of our officers will contact you to discuss the next steps.

Step 3 - Submit your application

After we assess your enquiry, we'll advise if you're eligible to move to the application stage.

You must supply the following with your application:

• personal details
• business address and proposed parklet location
• professionally drawn and designed parklet plans (depending on your design, you may need a Certificate of Compliance)
• public liability insurance and supporting documents.

Your plan and drawings must include the following information:

• Required setbacks (for example, 500mm from adjoining usual parking bays)
• Dimensions with context of the proposed area and a cross-section view
• Necessary materials for the parklet
• Ramps and accessibility features
• Edge treatments such as concrete planters for vehicle protection
• Overview of how barriers or balustrades will be fixed to the edge treatments or deck.

We'll let you know if you need to provide any more information.

Summer parklets run from 1 October to 30 March.

Annual parklets run from 1 October to 30 September.

Step 4 - Assessment and referral

After we receive your parklet application, we'll assess it against the:

• Parklet policy and design guidelines [ PDF, 5.61 MB]
• Yarra Trams installation guidelines [ PDF, 513.65 KB]

If your parklet is on a street with a tram line, you'll need approval from Yarra Trams. They have a 14-day turnaround from when you submit your application.

We'll also refer your application to relevant Council departments to determine its suitability. Depending on the proposal, you may need to make changes.

Once we approve your application, you may need additional approval from Yarra Trams. If you want to install a parklet on a road space where trams operate, please read the Yarra Trams installation guidelines [ PDF, 513.65 KB] .

We'll assess your application as quickly as possible, but it can take some time depending on the complexity of your proposed design.

Step 5 - Approval

If we approve your proposal, you'll receive your permit.

Please read all of your permit conditions. These will include next steps for installation and the conditions you need to comply with.

Step 5 - Construction and installation

When you're ready to construct or install the parklet, you must give us the:

• registered builder details
• date of construction or installation.

Depending on your parklet, you may need a:

• certificate of compliance from an engineer
• traffic management plan
• road occupation permit.

We will advise of what you need before you start.

Are parklets cost-efficient for you?

You should consider the overall cost of installing parklets and whether it is viable for your business. The cost will depend on your proposed design, construction and installation.

You should consider the cost of:

• professional draftspeople to design and draw your proposed parklet
• structural engineers to draft structural drawings and relevant certificates of compliance
• application and annual permit fees, which depend on whether the parklet is located on a primary, secondary or neighbour street.
• construction materials and installation by a registered builder.

Fees

There are two components to parklet fees.

1. A flat-rate application and inspection fee of $300 applies, regardless of the location or size of the parklet. 
    
2. A tiered fee structure depending on the type of street your parklet is on:
   • Primary streets - for example Brunswick Street, Smith Street and Gertrude Street
   • Secondary streets - any street with paid parking, that isn't a primary street
   • Neighbourhood streets - any eligible street, that is not a primary or secondary street

This table outlines the fees per car parking bay (or equivalent sized space). You can choose between a 'summer' permit or a 12-month permit.

Installing your parklet

If we approve your application to operate a parklet, you must hire or buy the infrastructure and pay for the installation.

Choose from these options for your parklet infrastructure:

1. Hire or buy infrastructure from a parklet company and maintain the parklet yourself.
2. Build your own parklet to comply with parklet technical specifications and get our approval.

Option 2 will take us longer to process. This is because we have to review the designs while ensuring the structure meets any road safety audit requirements.

If you have an approved parklet installed, your supplier or contractor must ensure that the installation and parklet infrastructure adheres with current technical design specifications.

We do not endorse or recommend any specific suppliers, but examples include:

• Events 720
• Parklets
• People Parkers
• Prestige Event Hire
• ReboxCo
• Skiplet
• Soma Design and Construction
• Urban Commons.

Greening your parklet

We encourage you to 'green' your parklet wherever possible. These companies can help you plant and maintain your planter boxes:

• Cultivating Community
• Metro Trees

Why can't you build over drainage pits?

We have responsibilities for managing our drainage network under the Road Management Act 2004 Code of Practice. Allowing structures over drainage pits limits our ability to meet these obligations and increases risks and liability.

When parklets are built over drainage pits, we cannot survey or access them. If a pit is blocked, we need access so the drainage crew can address the issue. During a flooding event, a blocked structure increases the potential for localised flooding.