Anger at proposed North Adelaide parking restrictions
An Adelaide City Council proposal to permanently restrict parking on weekends in North Adelaide has angered sporting teams and businesses in the area.
The council has proposed the changes as part of an apparent strategy to deal with increased demand for on-street parking during events at the redeveloped Adelaide Oval.
However, three of four possible strategies – which include two or three hour restrictions from 12pm–10.30pm on Saturdays and 12pm-7pm on Sundays – would be implemented year round.
Temporary closure of War Memorial Drive near the golf course is only proposed for event days.
View the Adelaide City Council’s proposals
Adelaide University Football Club chairman Sam Bridgwood, whose teams use two grounds within the area where changes are proposed, is extremely concerned about the impact the permanent changes could have on amateur sport and its spectators in the northern parklands.
“These changes would adversely affect every person who plays for, supports and assists with the running of our club,” Bridgwood said.
“We’re disappointed the Adelaide City Council would seek to implement something that would hurt us in this way.”
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He said he was hopeful the club would be able to work with the council to come to a practical and fair solution.
The council’s consultation pack says some of the measures were considered for event days only, but it “would be too confusing given the large number, type and frequency of events proposed at the Oval”.
It also acknowledges in its document that the two and three hour time restrictions would impact on hospital parking and amateur sport.
Adelaide City Council city planning general manager David Chick said the council was trying to address the parking problem before it became an issue, with measures likely to be introduced as early as October this year.
He said the council wanted to deter people from parking around North Adelaide during events and push patrons to the CBD-based car parks or public transport.
With more than 230 submissions already received on the plan and consultation extended to August 23, Chick said more residential permit zones may need to be considered, and he did not rule out temporary permits for sporting clubs.
“There has been quite a lot of feedback on permit systems trying to reach that balance of what’s fair and equitable to all the users.”
However, InDaily understands that at least one club has already requested a permit system and they were told that it was not an option.
Chick acknowledged there were ongoing issues with parking around the Women and Children’s Hospital.
“We believe that through careful management of existing state government-owned sites and noting that they’ve been considering selling that, that there could be enough parking available to meet [hospital users] concerns.”
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Adelaide University cricket club administrator Luke Johnston told InDaily players would not be directly impacted as they generally parked behind the grandstand.
“However, it might make life difficult if you had a major game, it seems ridiculous that we are dissuading people from attending local sport, it’s not as if there are a swag of business right near the grounds that are looking to turn over parking.
“There are concerns about parking in general already and any further restrictions will make it even more difficult.”
The owners of the Picadilly Cinema in O’Connell Street said they would support temporary changes for event days, but not permanent moves.
“A cinema is about the experience and its not just going to the cinema it’s the package and that’s why cinema in shopping centre tend to work well as it’s part of shopping, lunch, coffee experience; the whole gizmo,” Wallis Cinema marketing manger Paul Besanko.
“Therefore if the changes are permanent it would be an issue.”
Besanko said the Oval redevelopment was likely to have an impact on the cinema, but it would “learn to live with it”.
“From our business point of view you put a Crows match on and our business does suffer; it is a fact, not so much with Port. I don’t know why and you have to learn to live with it; Adelaide Oval is not going away.
“[Parking restrictions] may put people off; we are a competitive market and the fact that the footy is on, or parking is dodgy, may mean people go to Arndale [cinema].”
North ward councilor Susan Clearihan moved the motion to consider the parking demands and said it needed to be dealt with early.
She said it would have an impact on residents as well as the student colleges who were dependent on on-street parking.
“We’ve also got three major hospitals you can imagine the issues with people not being able to visit family or even get to hospital.
“There are university playing fields and other sporting fields people who have regular booking can’t access their games because they can’t get within cooee of the playing fields.”
Clearihan said she hoped the State Government would move to increase public transport services during peak event times.
