Private Parking Areas (Shopping Centre Parking Areas) Amendment Bill – Second Reading speech

Thursday 27 September 2022 

S.E. ANDREWS (Gibson) (16:32): I rise in support of the Private Parking Areas (Shopping Centre Parking Areas) Amendment Bill 2022. This bill seeks to deliver on our election commitment to prevent paid parking at Tea Tree Plaza shopping centre and also seeks to assist both consumers and shopping centre workers more broadly across South Australia. 

In my electorate of Gibson, this would also prevent the installation of paid parking at Marion shopping centre. In fact, paid parking was once considered in Marion by the Development Assessment Commission back in 2012, but thankfully, to the relief of so many workers, customers and small business owners, this change did not eventuate. Ten years have passed since this was raised in my electorate, and this bill will help to ensure that any change to free parking arrangements in Marion are in line with the local community's best interests. 

Doorknocking in my electorate of Gibson, I often hear stories of people going to Marion not just for their shopping but as a social connection with their community, just a regular catch-up with friends for coffee. Yet, due to COVID-19 and the rising cost of living, families, workers and small businesses are already struggling. As a government, it is our duty to pull the legislative levers available to us to assist our community. 

The addition of paid parking to people's local shopping areas is an expense that we, as a government, are able to mitigate. Those who work at these centres and the small business owners who pay rent should not be penalised for going to work and running their business. 

There are examples from the SDA's recent case study at West Lakes where workers have cited paying $35 a day to park to go to work. As of 1 July 2022, the national minimum wage is only $21.38 an hour, and in fact under many awards juniors are only paid a proportion of this full adult rate for their work. Based on this rate, more than 1½ hours' pay can go to paying for your car park while you attend work. This is particularly challenging for those who are doing minimum hours of three hours every shift. This means that hard-earned money is being chewed up simply paying for parking. 

At a time when there is a shortage of workers, it is important that we do not discourage our youth or our unskilled workers from seeking to enter the workforce. It is important that the barriers to meaningful work are justifiable; paying for parking is not. As Peter Malinauskas, our Premier, once said, 'I believe in the dignity of work.' It is important to me and my government colleagues that this dignity is afforded to every South Australian, should they choose. 

Not only will the inclusion of paid parking impact those who work in these shopping centres but it would also have an impact upon those who rely on these centres for their weekly shop. For customers to have to include the cost of their parking into their weekly shop or afternoon out is another way to discourage them from using these shopping centres. After the impacts of COVID-19 on these centres, it seems counterintuitive to discourage customers from accessing their shopping centres. 

We have heard of retailers, supermarkets, financial institutions, travel agencies and cafes closing their shopfronts in the name of cost cutting. In order to ensure that businesses have a central place in our community, we should not deter customers from shopping centres by asking them to pay for parking. 

Combined with other commitments this government has already delivered on, this bill will help people out in our community—workers and shoppers alike—and reduce the burden on South Australians' budgets. This government has already delivered on its commitment to make public transport free for our senior citizens. This measure has aided in reducing pressures on our older South Australians and encouraged them to be more mobile. It has also doubled the Cost of Living Concession, further assisting those on fixed and low incomes with the cost of living. I look forward to continuing to be part of a government that assists South Australians. I commend the bill to the house.