Free parking proposal for city shoppers at council-owned UParks

The CBD needs its shoppers back and one councillor says there is one big move the city can make to help.

There are calls for the council to offer the free parking at car parks it owns. Picture: Simon Cross

Two hours free parking in council-owned UParks would encourage people to shop in the city and provide a boost for businesses, an Adelaide City councillor says.

Franz Knoll, who is seeking re-election in the Central Ward, wants to remove one of the “main impediments” stopping people from shopping in the city.

“When we talk about encouraging people to use the city, here is one thing we (the council) can do for you,” Mr Knoll, owner of Barossa Fine Foods, said.

“Paying for parking to shop in the city just simply doesn’t cut it anymore, but two hours free parking is a different kettle of fish, city businesses benefit, shoppers win and the city is reactivated.”

Mr Knoll said shoppers would need a validated ticket – the process of which would be determined following stakeholder consultation.

The initiative would purely target shoppers.

“If we give a blanket two free hours, it can be for any purpose but we want to make sure we’re driving people to retail,” Mr Knoll said.

“This is a way to reward shoppers.”

It comes as the Property Council of Australia’s latest office occupancy survey found Adelaide rose by 64 to 71 per cent in August – the highest in the nation.

Australian Retailers Association chief executive Paul Zahra agreed that a lack of affordable parking was a major turn-off for people wanting to shop and dine in the city.

“With international tourism yet to fully bounce back, and more people choosing to work flexibly from home, our CBDs are facing a prolonged recovery from the pandemic,” Mr Zahra said.

“Limited free parking would be a great incentive for people to enjoy the best of what the Adelaide CBD has to offer.”

Adelaide City Councillor Franz Knoll. Picture: Matthew Kroker

Lord Mayor Sandy Verschoor. Picture: Kelly Barnes

Lord Mayor Sandy Verschoor, who is also seeking re-election, said council staff were investigating validated ticket parking options at its nine UPark sites.

One hour free parking is already offered at its Adelaide Central Market site under certain conditions and an earlier offer of two hours free parking at the market on Tuesday mornings expired in June.

“The more we can do to encourage shopping in the city, the more we will do,” Ms Verschoor said.

Mayoral candidate Rex Patrick said he was open to the idea, if the evidence showed “it would make a difference for people coming into the city, or would they simply still go to Marion or Tea Tree Plaza?”.

Fellow candidate Jane Lomax-Smith said: “There was always room to tweak the parking costs to maximise usage and improve shopping numbers”.

A Property Council spokesman said they would seek to engage with the council to ensure that laudable sentiments to activate the CBD economy did not unfairly disadvantage private car park operators, whose assets support city shopping and workers

The council has previously allowed free parking in its UParks at times in September last year, as part of its Reignite Adelaide program.

Free on-street parking in key precincts and UPark discounts were also implemented during February and March.