Paid car parking ban, ‘will stop jobs, development’ in Adelaide, Parking Australia says

The state government’s controversial Bill to ban paid carparking could stop big shopping centres expanding in SA – and cost jobs, it’s been warned.

Passing a Bill to outlaw paid parking at major shopping centres in SA will put a “handbrake” on expansion in the state, the national carparking group says.

The claims come after the state government on Tuesday introduced a highly controversial Bill which Premier Peter Malinauskas has said will stop owners “fleecing” customers and workers.

Parking Australia chief executive Stuart Norman told The Messenger the Bill had the potential to see major shopping centres such as Westfield reconsider expansion in the state.

“As Adelaide grows and shopping malls look to expand they’re going to think twice,” he said.

“It’s a handbrake on future jobs and future development.

“Retail parking is not to make money out of the parking fees, it’s about getting more people through the shops and in the shops.”

Mr Norman said future plans to include electric vehicle charging stations and encourage other forms of transport would also be affected.

Parking Australia represents the interests of the parking industry and would benefit from the Bill being defeated.

But Mr Norman said the Bill was also “bad policy” and slammed the government for its “palpable hypocrisy”.

“It’s not the private sector’s responsibility to solve the issues of public hospital parking,” he said.

“Hypocrisy” was also used by the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Association to describe the Bill, which would ban private enforcement of paid parking but avoid the same restrictions on public hospitals.

Westfield West Lakes, where paid parking could be banned by the state government.

Housing and Urban Development Minister Nick Champion was asked to respond to the claims investment could be hurt by the Bill.

“The Bill will save workers and shoppers in the north-east thousands of dollars a year and (could defeat) a move that would have driven consumers away from the centre hurting many of its small business operators,” he said.

Late last month Mr Malinauskas used a plan by Westfield Tea Tree Plaza as an example of how the Bill would affect centre users.

The centre faced backlash early last year for proposing paid parking but allowing the first three hours to be free.

The Tea Tree Plaza carpark is understood to be a hub for parking for Modbury Hospital, which is across the road from the centre.

Premier Peter Malinauskas. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Brenton Edwards

The Bill would apply only to shopping centres with a 34,500sq m footprint but is understood to be retrospective and will force changes at Westfield West Lakes where paid parking exists.

Eight centres in total would be immediately affected by such a Bill.

In the wake of Mr Malinauskas announcing the Bill would be rushed into parliament, Westfield Tea Tree Plaza emailed centre users to defend their paid parking plan.

“This would be a positive improvement to increase the availability of bays for our customers when they visit us,” the email said.

“The vast majority of people who park at (the centre) would not pay for parking if these plans were introduced.

“Parking would be free for all disability permit holders. For retail staff, the daily parking fee would be an amount similar to the cost of public transport.”

The Tea Tree Gully council receives revenue from parking fines at Westfield TTP.

Figures provided by the council showed $368,000 in revenue was received from fines at the centre last year and $367,280 the year before.