The SA Government is proposing a vehicle parking fund targeting developers. Photo: stock
The SA Government wants to link larger garages to bedroom space in new Adelaide residential buildings to reduce on-street congestion.
The government’s draft Vehicle Parking Scheme bill specifies that one-bedroom dwellings must have one car park; dwellings with two or more bedrooms must have at least two car parks.
The bill would enlarge off-street car parking areas for larger vehicles; the size of a single car park would increase from 3 to 3.5 metres wide, from 5.4m to 6m long and the minimum garage door size increase from 2.4m to 3 metres.
The bill would also establish a Vehicle Parking Fund for developers to pay offset fees if they cannot comply with the requirements as a pre-approval condition. Fees would range from $45,000 in the CBD to $25,000 for Greater Adelaide.
The fund would be used to build new or maintain public carparks or improve bicycle parking facilities to encourage active transport.
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SA Premier Peter Malinauskas says residents are “sick of seeing their suburbs being over-run by cars often double parked on otherwise quiet streets”.
“It is ridiculous that many modern garages are not built big enough to fit the most popular cars sold in our country, from dual-cab utes right down to SUVs,” he says.
“We’re going to fix it – by bringing our planning laws up to date.”
Housing and Planning Minister Nick Champion says the new requirements will improve streetscapes.
“While we need bigger garages, it is the responsibility of local councils to manage on-street parking and they must use their extensive powers to reduce existing congestion,” he says.
Campbelltown City Council Mayor Jill Whittaker says current parking sizes do not cater for larger vehicles now on the roads.
“The need for housing, the increase in population and the love of cars means that parking has become a challenge as our streets were built for less traffic and less street parking,” she says.
The scheme will apply to all residential developments in Greater Adelaide.
The government says it will carry out targeted consultation with the building and construction industry and local government.
