State Budget 2019: Raft of fees, charges and fines to rise, from hospital parking, pub licences, public transport costs and more to fill Budget hole

South Australians will be slugged with higher fees and fines to fill a budget black hole — from public transport users to pub owners, tradies, miners, bad drivers and even those at Adelaide Oval.

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Adelaide Oval management is scrambling to determine the impact of plans to charge major event operators for the attendance of SA Police, as Treasurer Rob Lucas jacks up a raft of fees on commuters and business in a bid to cover a Budget black hole.

Mr Lucas has revealed a range of controversial moves, including axing cheap tickets for short public transport rides, lifting public hospital parking prices and increasing the cost of tradies’ certificates, as part of a $79 million cash grab.

Treasurer Rob Lucas will increase a large number of fees and fines to help fill a State Budget black hole created by a drop in GST revenue. Picture: AAP / Kelly Barnes

Mr Lucas has also revealed a new “user-pays” scheme would be imposed to “cost recover for police attendance at commercial events such as cricket, AFL (and) Royal Adelaide Show” in cases where organisers chose police instead of private security guards. He played down suggestions the surprise move would make family outings even more expensive. “We don’t believe so,” he said. “We’ll have to work our way through that particular issue with venue operators.”

Mr Lucas said similar fees applied in other states, but an Adelaide Oval Stadium Management Authority spokesman said on Thursday night the move came without warning.

“We have had no visibility around this measure prior to the Treasurer’s announcement and so we’ll seek to understand the detail and what the ramifications will be for events at Adelaide Oval,” he said.

An Adelaide Oval Stadium Management Authority spokesman said the move came without warning.

Average rises across the board are about five per cent but Mr Lucas said steps had been taken to limit increases in normal bus and rail tickets and keep speeding fines for so-called “creepers” under control.

A cheaper two-zone public transport fare will be canned completely, amid claimed rorting, as a $5 fee for new MetroCards is imposed.

Carparking fees at city hospitals will rise for staff and visitors from January 1, some by as much as 20 per cent. Fees, including for births, deaths and marriage certificates, lottery licensing and certificates for tradies and land agents, will rise by 10 per cent. Companies who refuse or can’t reveal who was speeding in their cars will have fines rise from $300 to $1800.

Mr Lucas said the “limp lettuce leaf” regime in place was allowing bad drivers to bypass punishment and avoid demerit points. The fine for using a mobile phone while driving will rise by $200, to $534.

Changes to State Government fees and charges.

A range of vehicle registration fees will lift but Mr Lucas said the average driver would be about $100 ahead on the year as compulsory third party insurance dropped dramatically.

Mining companies exploring around Olympic Dam and the Gawler Craton will be hit with higher charges as licence fees for bottle shops and hotels also increase. The State Budget has suffered a $500 million GST loss for the coming year.

Opposition spokesman Stephen Mullighan said the Government had broken its election promise for “lower costs and better services”. “No South Australians have been spared — motorists, public transport commuters, tradies, even hospital patients … have been targeted,” he said.

The full State Budget will be handed down on June 18.