Boundary Street Upgrade

The proposed design works will include:

• Widening Boundary Street to provide two traffic lanes on each side of the road
• Installing a new roundabout to the southern end of Boundary Street
• Providing a shared path on the west side
• Providing embankment or retaining wall on both the east and west sides
• Renewed drainage along Boundary Street
• Replacing the existing culvert crossing
• Reconstructing and resurfacing the road base on Boundary Street
• Upgrading driveways to existing properties impacted by the works
• Upgrading the Hibbard Ferry approach to the north of Hastings River Drive with the installation of an information bay and queuing lanes.

Council is currently in a review phase of this project. Recent updates to planning for the area including the Airport Masterplan 2045, updated flood information and changes to broader transport planning mean the traffic and access needs for Boundary Street may be different to what was expected when earlier concepts were developed.

To make sure Council delivers the right solution an Area Wide Traffic Study is now underway. This study will help confirm:

• what traffic volumes are expected over time,
• how the wider road network is working (not just Boundary Street), and
• what level of upgrade is needed for Boundary Street and when.

Council has been investigating options to improve Boundary Street over several years. Key steps so far include:

• Early planning and concept design to explore how Boundary Street could be improved for safety, access and drainage.
• Community engagement with residents and businesses.
• Social Impact Assessment (SIA) completed in 2025 by a specialist consultant. The SIA looked at how a future upgrade could affect people who live and travel in the area and recommended clearer, more accessible communication and ongoing engagement with affected residents.
• Review of the project’s scope in consideration of updates to infrastructure planning, flood mapping and traffic studies. 

A Social Impact Assessment (SIA) is a structured process that evaluates the social, cultural, and economic effects of a project, program, or initiative on communities and stakeholders.

Social Impact Assessment includes the processes of analysing, monitoring and managing how a project, policy, program or plan impacts people and communities. Both the potentially positive and negative impacts of an intervention are assessed.  Any social changes caused directly or indirectly by a project are to be considered. 

The main purpose of an SIA is to ensure social aspects are properly assessed, and to help bring about a more sustainable and equitable biophysical and human environment.

The Boundary Street Upgrade SIA is currently under development and will be completed by Barr Consulting.

Updates to the website will be provided as works progress.

The benefits of the project are:

• Provide flood immunity against the 20yr flood event
• Improved access and safety for pedestrians and cyclists
• Improved efficiency for vehicles accessing the airport
• Provide necessary transport infrastructure required by the expanding population
• Improve traffic flow on Boundary Street
• Part of Council’s commitment to long term future transport planning.