The State Government is taking strong action to bust congestion and improve amenity in Adelaide’s neighbourhoods by getting parked cars off suburban streets.
Carparking on residential streets has become a contentious issue in areas where substantial infill development is occurring, with residents and councils crying out for a fix.
The State Government will consult on proposed changes to planning legislation to establish updated minimum off-street carparking requirements for new residential developments in Greater Adelaide.
The draft bill proposes to establish a Vehicle Parking Scheme, which will specify the minimum number of carparks that must be provided for new dwellings based on the number of bedrooms.
The changes specify one-bedroom dwellings must have one vehicle park and dwellings with two or more bedrooms must 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.
Under the proposed changes, the size of a single vehicle park would be 3.5 metres wide and 6 metres long, with the minimum garage door size increased to 3 metres. The current dimensions of a single garage are 3 x 5.4 metres with a 2.4 metre garage door.
Under the proposed changes, vehicle parks do not necessarily need to be covered garages or carports, but at least one must be capable of being covered in the future.
The scheme will apply to all residential developments within Greater Adelaide, with the potential for areas or classes of development to be excluded by ministerial notice, such as developments in the CBD and North Adelaide or strategic infill developments on public transport routes with mobility hubs.
Only in limited and exceptional circumstances where the new minimum car park requirements are not met, it’s proposed that offset fees will be paid by developers into a new Vehicle Parking Fund.
The draft fee structure proposes the following rates to be made by the developer before development approval is issued:
- Within the CBD - $45,000
- Metropolitan Adelaide - $35,000
- Greater Adelaide - $25,000
The Vehicle Parking Fund could then be used to develop new public parking in areas where insufficient vehicle parking exists, maintain existing public carparks or improve bicycle parking facilities to encourage active transport.
These changes to planning legislation bill have been proposed following an extensive review by an expert panel into the state’s planning system.
South Australian councils voted in favour of increasing garage sizes in new homes, at the Local Government Association’s Annual General Meeting last year.
The State Government will undertake targeted consultation with the building and construction industry as well as local government.