Council residents of City of Norwood, Payneham & St Peters received a letter from Council (dated 28 March 2024) concerning the intention to implement a new visitor parking permit scheme from 1 July 2024. The letter residents explained that each eligible residential property will generally only be able to purchase 1 booklet of 50 visitor permits each financial year.

Following signficant feedback from the community, Council made the decision to maintain the status quo for FY24/25 for the visitor parking permit scheme whilst the Council undertook public consultation. 

Council made a final decision on visitor parking at its meeting on 7 April 2025, following the public consultation in June 2024 on this and other aspects of the parking policy

Council has thankfully scrapped the proposed booklet scheme. So visitor permits will still be transferable, and won’t be single use.

However Council has impose a 6 hour time limit on each permit. This will make it much harder for residents to accommodate overnight visitors, house sitters etc.

This is a disappointing decision, especially because Council did not base its decision on any objective evidence that visitor parking permits are placing undue pressure on parking. The vast majority of submissions pointed out that visitor permits are not a significant cause of parking congestion, so it remains baffling why Council has taken such hostile action against its residents and rejected taking an evidence-based approach

We are thankful to Councillor Grant Piggot who moved an amendment to retain two visitor permits. The majority of elected members supported this amendment and so it was carried. Disappointingly a handful did not, including one Councillor who dismissed some of the concerns by incorrectly claiming that most residents with permits have available off street parking.

Residential permits- cars must move every 7 days

Council also voted to impose a new requirement on residential car permits. This was flagged in the consultation but we didn't realise this. 

Residents will now be required to move their cars every seven days. Failure to do so may result in a hefty fine, or loss of the residential permit. The policy does not include any exceptions for people who cannot move their car if they are away travelling, away for work, in hospital, or the like.

Council staff claim this new policy is aimed at residents who leave their car in the same spot for months on end; and claim they will not be heavy handed in enforcing this requirement against other residents. But no such assurance is included in the policy.

One of the council staff members indicated that it would be acceptable for residents to notify Council if they were going to be away and unable to move their vehicle. We hope that Council will respect such notifications, and not take it as an opportunity to impose fines.