Disability Accessible Car Parks

The Hon. K.L. VINCENT (17:15): I would like to speak today about an issue of which I am sure many members are aware, and a rather innovative solution to that issue; that is, the illegal use of accessible car parks by parking in a disability accessible car park without a permit.

The Hon. M.C. Parnell: It should be a capital offence!

The Hon. K.L. VINCENT: The Hon. Mr Parnell interjects that it should be a capital offence. I do not know if I am going that far, but I do have a plausible solution. Recently, a Lane Cove councillor by the name of Karola Brent—and, yes, I believe that is her real name—was caught illegally parked in an accessible car park without a permit. Instead of hearing the usual excuses that we often hear from those who illegally use these car parks, such as, 'I was only there for a short time,' 'I was in a hurry,' and so on, the transport minister of New South Wales, Mr Duncan Gay, proposed a rather innovative solution.

He asked the transport department of New South Wales to introduce legislation introducing demerit points on licences of those who illegally use these parks. As some members may be aware, this incidentally has been something that Dignity for Disability has been considering for quite some time, so it is pleasing to see this idea being taken up elsewhere so that we may have the research and experience to further back this idea.

I have to say I am surprised that the illegal use of these accessible car parks is not already better policed. After all, it would seem to me that this is an easy stream of potential revenue for councils. In fact, it would seem that it would be a very easy and very large stream of revenue for councils, given that the illegal use of accessible car parks is, I kid you not, one of the most commonly raised issues with my office.

Of course, revenue is not the only reason why we need to take this issue very seriously. Stopping the illegal use of accessible car parks is not only a matter of respect: it is a matter of ensuring safety for those of us who require accessible car parks. Let me illustrate this point.

If I, or someone else who is a wheelchair user, requires the extra space to get out of the car to their wheelchair from the side of their vehicle cannot do so, and have to park in a non-accessible car park, meaning that we have to walk further, perhaps through the car park, to get to our destination, this places us at risk because we are less visible in our wheelchairs to oncoming traffic and traffic in the car park. It is an issue of respect, morality and safety.

As I said, this is an issue very commonly raised with my office and, in fact, it is raised by those on both sides of the issue; that is, it is raised by people with permits who are upset about their car parks being taken from them illegally, and those who do not have permits and disagree with those who illegally use these car parks. This clearly shows that there is a lot of goodwill to change the landscape in this area and to ensure that people understand the gravity of the situation they are putting people in when they illegally use accessible car parks, even for a short time. I think it is important that we labour that point. It is not only inconvenient and immoral, it is illegal.

So far my office has received good feedback about the situation in New South Wales and about our plans to replicate it here, and I will be pleased to discuss this further with members of parliament and members of the community so that we can find other workable solutions if there are any. I am excited to see how this plan will develop in New South Wales so that we can gather the evidence and research needed to further the concept here in South Australia.

I am pleased to again announce that Dignity for Disability plans to amend legislation to replicate the situation, hopefully before the end of the existing year. So I welcome feedback from members of parliament and members of the community. I look forward to working with you all on this very important issue and hope that soon we will have a solution that truly understands the gravity of the situation regarding the illegal use of accessible car parks.