The City of Burnside has written to MPs, Ministers and the Local Government Association of South Australia to advocate for legislative reform on managing long term vehicle storage on public roads.
At the Ordinary Council Meeting on 27 January 2026, Council resolved C12026/14085 that Council:
1. Authorises the CEO to write to the Minister for Local Government and all Members of State Parliament representing the City of Burnside, as well as the Acting CEO of the South Australian Local Government Association, advocating for legislative changes based on the NSW framework to enable Council to manage vehicles left on roads within defined timeframes and conditions.
2. Publishes the advocacy letter on Council's website and social media channels to inform the community of Council's position, and publishes any responses received from the Minister and Local State Members of Parliament for transparency.
Legislative reform is urgently needed to improve how councils in South Australia respond to the growing issue of long-term vehicle storage on public roads. This matter continues to negatively affect neighbourhood amenity, perceptions of safety, equitable access to public streets, and community confidence in local regulation.
Over the past year, Council has received 297 complaints about vehicles left on residential streets for extended periods, particularly in Kensington Gardens and Erindale. A significant proportion of these vehicles belong to nearby commercial operators who, due to insufficient on-site storage space, routinely store vehicles, often damaged or deteriorating, along residential streets for weeks or months at a time. Residents describe this as unfair, unsightly, and disruptive, frequently expressing frustration that councils appear unable to act despite the clear and ongoing impacts on their neighbourhoods.
Despite strong community expectations, South Australian councils currently have very limited practical powers to address long-term vehicle storage when vehicles are legally parked. Under the Local Government Act 1999, action can only be taken if a vehicle is deemed abandoned. However, a vehicle is not considered abandoned if it is linked to a nearby property, even if unregistered, deteriorating, or occupying the same location for months. Furthermore, Council cannot issue expiations unless time-based parking controls exist, and such restrictions cannot be justified in the affected areas due to an average parking occupancy of only 50 per cent. Without time limits, vehicles may remain indefinitely without breaching any regulation.
In practice, vehicle owners may move vehicles only marginally to avoid triggering any interpretation of abandonment. This behaviour is lawful under the current framework and prevents councils from acting, regardless of how long a vehicle has remained. Modern enforcement technologies, such as automated licence plate recognition, offer no assistance when legislative authority itself is insufficient.
By comparison, New South Wales provides councils with a clear, proportionate, and enforceable statutory framework that directly addresses long-term vehicle storage:
- Vehicles left unattended may be removed after 28 days, following 15 days' notice.
- Unregistered or unroadworthy vehicles may be removed after 15 days, following 3 days' notice.
- Hazardous vehicles may be removed within 3 days, without notice.
While these powers still rely on vehicles remaining in substantially the same location, the framework is significantly more effective, transparent, and community-centred than what is currently available in South Australia. It provides councils with meaningful enforcement pathways while balancing the rights of vehicle owners.
Reform in South Australia would:
- Restore fairness by preventing commercial operators from using public streets for private benefit.
- Protect neighbourhood amenity and reduce community frustration.
- Improve efficiency across local and state systems by reducing repeated complaints to councils, SAPOL, and local MPs.
- Strengthen public confidence by addressing a clear regulatory gap.
- Align with State Government priorities supporting liveability, wellbeing, and the safe, efficient movement of people.
Council also notes two practical opportunities for complementary measures:
1. Empowering councils to expiate unregistered vehicles, reducing the burden on SAPOL and allowing police resources to focus on higher priority matters.
2. A collaborative public awareness campaign, for example, a "Free Our Streets" message, encouraging residents to store vehicles on private property where possible to preserve street access for emergency vehicles, cyclists, pedestrians, and visitors.
These enhancements would support, rather than distract from, the core issue identified in Council's resolution: the need for a clear, contemporary statutory framework enabling councils to address long-term vehicle storage on public streets.
This ongoing issue is not distinct to the City of Burnside and affects all councils across the state.
To advocate for this issue, Council wrote to (all letters can be found below):
- Hon. Joe Szakacs MP, Minister for Local Government
- Hon. John Gardner MP, Member for Morialta
- Ms. Cressida O'Hanlon MP, Member for Dunstan
- Hon. Vincent Tarzia MP, Member for Hartley
- Mr. Jack Batty MP, Member for Bragg
- Ms Karen Teaha, Acting Chief Executive Officer, Local Government Association of South Australia.
