The Malinauskas Labor Government is taking the issue of getting parked cars off congested suburban streets to next year's state election after the Liberals and Greens threatened to gut proposed legislation to allow for larger garage sizes.
The Statutes Amendment (Vehicle Parking and Urban Renewal) Bill 2025 proposes to set new standards for vehicle parking in residential developments, ensuring parked cars return to driveways and garages rather than crowding suburban streets.
However, the Liberal Party have lodged amendments in the Parliament that will make the purpose of the bill completely redundant and lock garages sizes in at 3m by 5.4m.
The Liberal amendments back in the status quo; small garages that will see suburban streets clogged up with parked cars.
In opposing these sensible reforms, the Liberals have formed an unholy alliance with the Greens, whose anti-car ideology has left them unwilling to entertain any compromise on this legislation.
In stark contrast, the Malinauskas Labor Government has listened to the countless South Australians who are sick of seeing their communities being over-run by cars often double-parked on otherwise quiet streets.
Under the changes, one-bedroom dwellings would be required to have one vehicle park, while dwellings with two or more bedrooms would need to have at least two vehicle parks.
Minimum dimensions for off-street vehicle parking areas would also be increased so that the largest passenger and utility vehicles sold in Australia could be parked with sufficient width to allow the driver and passenger doors to be opened without hitting garage walls.
On passing the Bill, the State Government will write to local councils expressing an expectation that local governments will support these new provisions by implementing and enforcing street parking regulations.
The choice is clear: the Malinauska Labor Government is seeking a clear electoral mandate to deliver bigger garages and get parked cars off suburban streets.
Vincent Tarzia's Liberals stand with property developers for smaller garages and clogged suburban streets.
As put by Peter Malinauskas
We put forward sensible and well-crafted legislation to get more cars into garages and off busy suburban streets. The Liberals have made it clear their intention to gut it.
We will not stand for it.
The choice for South Australians is now clear.
If you want bigger garages and less congestion, vote Labor.
If you want to see streets increasingly clogged with cars, vote Liberal.
As put by Nick Champion
We have heard the feedback that we need to get parked cars off our streets and back on driveways or in garages. This is exactly what our reforms would do.
We have worked carefully on striking the right balance with this Bill and we have landed on a sensible policy that will make a difference.
However, the legislation would be rendered completely redundant because of tinkering by the Liberals unwilling to entertain even sensible reforms and the Greens extreme anti-car ideology.
