Parking & Traffic FAQs

Council will not stop or ban parking opposite a driveway, as this practice would result in a significant loss of parking availability in our City.

Only in exceptional circumstances, or where a street is too narrow (i.e. less than 7m wide) would we consider banning parking along one side of a street.

For more information on driveway access or narrow streets, please see pages 24-27 of our UPMP. 

A vehicle can park right up to a driveway as per Regulation 198 of the Australian Road Rules.

Parking across a driveway, however, is illegal and in breach of the road rules. In this situation, Council will issue fines as required.

If you observe a vehicle parked across your driveway, please phone Council on 8372 5111, report it online or email pobox1@unley.sa.gov.au.

To help address driveway access issues, Council may consider installing yellow line markings across and adjacent to a driveway in the following conditions:

• The street is less than 8.5m wide.
• The driveway crossover is less than 3.5m wide.
• There is no shared driveway immediately next to or opposite the driveway.

Council will not paint yellow lines next to driveways for the purpose of bin collection.

If you are experiencing issues, you can place your bins in your driveway entrance for collection as this is a no parking zone and will not be blocked by parked cars.

To report a waste collection issue online, visit our Report a Bin Issue webpage. 

Vehicles cannot be parked on or across your driveway or any other driveway, even partially.

You are allowed to stop across a driveway for 2 minutes only if you are dropping off or picking up passengers and must always remain within 3m of the vehicle.

Fines will be given to vehicles that park on a driveway, even partially. 

Council no longer installs new or replaces old/damaged mirrors on Council land.

You can install a mirror on your own private property at your own expense.

Visibility issues often occur at driveways, entrances or along laneways. When sightlines are impeded, it is the responsibility of the motorist to take extra care and proceed with caution.

On-street parking in the City of Unley is a limited public resource, with competing needs from residents, businesses, shoppers, tradespeople, commuters and visitors.

To address parking challenges, City of Unley residents and businesses can request new parking restrictions, or request to modify existing parking restrictions on their street.

To install or change parking restrictions, there is a three-step application process designed to balance parking in a fair and transparent manner for current and future community-wide needs.

To find out more or to apply, visit our Apply for a change to parking restrictions on your street webpage.

Council does not enforce speed limits as this is a matter for SA Police (SAPOL). Please phone SAPOL directly on 131 444 for assistance.

If concerns are raised about speeding on a local street, Council will investigate. The investigation involves site inspections and reviewing or undertaking traffic surveys. If it is found that there is a speeding issue, appropriate action can include:

• Seeking targeted speed enforcement by SAPOL.
• Installing Council electronic flashing speed signs in the street.

If speeding is an issue on your street, please phone SA Police on 131 444 for assistance.

Council can investigate to see if additional traffic calming measures are required to manage traffic volumes and speeds. This investigation can include site inspections, reviewing or undertaking traffic surveys and reviewing the street’s accident history.

This information is assessed against desired performance limits for a local residential street.

Desired performance limits:

• maximum of 2,000 vehicles per day (vpd); 
• 13% or less of daily traffic volumes in the AM and PM peaks;
• 85th percentile vehicle speeds less than 46 km/h; and 
• accident frequency.

The traffic performance limits form part of the Local Area Traffic Management Plans within the City of Unley.

If you believe there is a traffic speed or volume issue in your street, phone Council on 8372 5111 or email pobox1@unley.sa.gov.au.  

Occasionally vehicles are abandoned in our streets that can look unsightly and may compromise road safety.

A vehicle is not considered abandoned if it:

• belongs to a resident living within a reasonable distance to the parked vehicle; and
• is currently registered; and
• is parked legally.

Under Section 237 of the Local Government Act 1999, Council may have a vehicle removed if the vehicle is believed to be abandoned, or, it has been left on a public road, place or on local government land unlawfully for at least 24 hours following the issue of a warning notice.

Vehicles will only be impounded as a last resort after all avenues to locate the owner and have them remove the vehicle have been exhausted.

If your vehicle is parked illegally and the City of Unley or SAPOL believe it is a danger to other road users and is likely to cause traffic congestion or obstruct access to a property, it can be towed. Vehicles cannot be towed away simply because they are causing an inconvenience to other road users.

Visit our Report an Issue webpage to report an abandoned vehicle.

If you believe your vehicle has been towed, please phone Council on 8372 5111 or email pobox1@unley.sa.gov.au.

For the safety of pedestrians and to maintain the nature strip, you must not park fully or partially on footpaths or verges.

Fines will be given to vehicle owners who park in this way.

Narrow streets (less than 7m from kerb to kerb) are common in the City of Unley.

When parking on a narrow street, you must position your vehicle so there is at least 3m of the road next to your vehicle to allow other vehicles to pass. You must also position your vehicle so that it does not unreasonably obstruct the path of pedestrians.

Fines will be given to vehicle owners who do not allow enough room.

Council can restrict parking on one side of a narrow street in certain situations. The Australian Road Rules state that a 3m space must be between two vehicles parked opposite each other, as shown in the pictures below.

This means that two vehicles cannot legally park opposite each other on any street that is narrow (between 5m and 7m wide). If the street is less then 5m, then on-street parking is not allowed. Fines may be given to vehicles that park too close to another vehicle. 

Council has developed a stepped approach to manage parking on narrow streets, which are common within the City of Unley, outlined below: 

1.     Educate – Install signs along the street to emphasise its narrowness and discourage parking opposite other vehicles (example sign below). Provide residents with Australian Road Rules educational materials and proper parking practices for narrow streets.

2.     Enforce – Increase proactive and regular enforcement of non-compliant narrow street parking.

3.     Restrict – If education and enforcement is not effective, seek input from local residents on potential parking restrictions, prioritising minimal loss of on-street parking capacity.

If most residents support the restrictions, they will be implemented. If there is insufficient support, parking restrictions may still be enforced on waste collection days to ensure safe access for waste trucks and bin collection.

Council will not introduce parking restrictions on streets wider than 7m to solely enhance traffic flow.

You must not park within 10m from the nearest point of an intersecting road (with or without traffic lights) unless parking is permitted by a traffic control sign.

This also includes laneways, which are classed as 'roads' in the Australian Road Rules.

Fines will be given to vehicle owners who park too close to an intersection.

No Stopping

To 'stop' a vehicle means to stop and remain stationary for a short period of time. You must not stop or park your vehicle in any area where a 'No Stopping’ sign is installed, even to pick up or drop off passengers or goods. This is also the same if a continuous yellow edge line is present. 

No Parking

You must not park your vehicle in an area where a 'No Parking' sign applies, unless:

• you are dropping off or picking up passengers or goods; and
• you do not leave the vehicle unattended by moving more than 3m away; and
• you complete the drop off or pick up within 2 minutes.

A ‘Give Way’ sign and a ‘Stop’ sign fundamentally act the same way, in that a vehicle approaching an intersection with either sign displayed, must give way to other vehicles.

In accordance with the Australian Road Rules, ‘Stop’ signs are used if there is poor sight distance at an intersection.  

Generally, the non-compliance of a ‘Give Way’ sign is due to driver complacency, driver distraction or being unable to see the sign as they approach the intersection. If required, Council will inspect the intersection to see if the signage is clear enough.

Council may prune overhanging trees or install pavement median bars (yellow humps/rumble bars) to help increase the visual cues of the approaching intersection. This has been successful at many locations.

Example of Pavement Median Bar treatment:

Council will consider requests to install a ‘Give Way’ sign at a T-intersection. However, under the Australian Road Rules, a T-intersections typically functions in the same way as a ‘Give Way’ sign, with the vehicle on the terminating road required to stop for traffic on the continuing road.

If a T-intersection operates safely and effectively, additional signage is not necessary.

Arterial (Major) roads are owned and controlled by State Government (the Department for Infrastructure and Transport (DIT)).

Council has very limited control or influence on these roads. Within the City of Unley, these roads are owned and controlled by DIT:

• Greenhill Road
• Glen Osmond Road
• Cross Road
• South Road
• Anzac Highway
• Goodwood Road
• Unley Road
• Fullarton Road

For these roads, please phone DIT on 1300 872 677 or visit dit.sa.gov.au if your request is regarding the following:

• road closures
• clearways
• bike lanes
• traffic lights / signal faults
• ‘Keep Clear’ road markings, or
• ‘U-Turn’ Bans and ‘No Right Turn’ Bans.

Phone Council on 8372 5111 or email pobox1@unley.sa.gov.au if you have a request regarding the following:

• Parking issues (excluding bike lane and clearway related).
• Any works on the footpath or up to the roadside kerb.

All fire hydrants are SA Water’s responsibility, including maintaining the yellow line marking and the blue ‘cat eye’ reflectors.

Please phone SA Water on 1300 729 283 or complete their online form.

Under the Australian Road Rules, heavy vehicles are defined as 7.5m long, or longer, (including a trailer attached) or having a gross vehicle mass (GVM) of more than 4.5 tonnes.

Heavy vehicles can only be parked on a road for a maximum of 1 hour.

If you require short-term parking on a residential street for a long or heavy vehicle such as a caravan, trailer or boat for more than 1 hour, you will need to apply for a Temporary Caravan / Trailer Exemption Permit.

Vehicles of 3 tonnes or more require development consent to park on a residential property. The type of vehicles that require consent include buses, motor homes, vans, trucks, prime movers, earth moving equipment and associated trailers.