Adelaide City Council looking into changing parking prices depending on demand
The Adelaide City Council is exploring moves that would allow it to implement changing its pricing for parking based on demand. TAKE OUR POLL
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Parking prices across the CBD and North Adelaide would fluctuate based on demand, under an Adelaide City Council plan.
At a meeting about the council’s 2020/21 budget on Thursday night, staff said they were looking into legislative requirements to change on-street parking prices in response to demand.
It comes off the back of the council’s Park Adelaide mobile app and in-ground sensor system where motorists can buy a one-off, extra 15 minutes of parking to avoid a fine, as well as check spots available.
Under the proposal, the council would review parking in the city every couple of months and change the pricing depending on the demand for spaces.
Adelaide City Council deputy chief executive and culture director Clare Mockler said the move was a work in progress.
“Rundle St is a really good example – ticket pricing was put into Rundle St and we know that for the last couple of years that area is under-utilised, so is there a way we could drop those prices really quickly?” Ms Mockler said.
The council would also look at introducing more paid parking in areas in the city’s south and east.
“(We could perhaps) trial some sort of paid parking for those areas where we know commuters are parking all day,” she said.
Meanwhile, the council discussed how its annual business plan might look next financial year.
A number of councillors wanted rates frozen and fees and charges mostly unchanged , while the possibility of bumping prudential borrowing limits from about $80 million to $175 million was also considered.
Cr Jessy Khera said it would be “counter-productive” to increase rates following the council’s COVID-19 recovery stimulus.
“Even though we are going through significant pain at the moment, the scope for increase in rates should not probably come until the following year, if it is warranted … certainly not this year,” Cr Khera said.
“This is the single biggest aid we can provide.”
Adelaide City Council chief executive Mark Goldstone said elected members had to “carefully consider” how to assist ratepayers.
“But we need to be mindful of our own financial sustainability as an organisation,” Mr Goldstone said.
“We really must reduce our operating expenditure, while still meeting the needs of the community … rationalising our services and still meeting our needs in governing a capital city.”
The council also discussed 16 new strategic projects, which included spending $1.8 million over the next two years to improve the Adelaide free Wi-Fi service.
The council would also look the short-term redevelopment of City Beach on Pirie St to determine the most “effective, efficient and optimal use of the site”.
The council planned to approve 2020/21 fees, charges and expenditure framework by June 30.
The remainder of the plan is scheduled for adoption in August, following consultation in July.