CBD parking levies are still a hot topic of discussion around Australia following last week’s blog reporting on the Victorian government’s plans for an increased parking tax.
This week has seen South Australia’s Opposition ramping up its fight against their state government’s planned parking levy for Adelaide’s CBD. The controversial plan is fast becoming a key election issue ahead of the March 2014 vote.
As we reported on Wayfinding Forum in March, several influential industry groups have attacked the plan as a slug on locals and businesses. The levy, purportedly a $52m injection for ‘transport development’ projects over two years, will be charged at $750 per space and most likely affect property owners who are sure to pass on the increase to their customers.
The opposition leader Steven Marshall has gone to the extraordinary length of releasing a television commercial almost a year out from the election slamming the plan and vowing to scrap the tax should he win government. View ad here:
Mr Marshall said, “At a time when cost of living pressures are rapidly rising, the Labor Government is reaching into the pocket of South Australians to repay the debt.”
The Property Council has welcomed the opposition’s promise, which it said recognised the concerns of city’s retailers. The PCA has since released a survey showing the levy could scare off “almost 60 per cent of motorists” from the CBD.
A good result for congestion says the SA Premier, but at what cost? At PTC we conducted some research as to how the parking levy revenues in NSW and VIC had been spent and what correlation could be found to prove or disprove its impact on congestion. Sadly neither question was able to be answered satisfactorily.