Issue - decisions

Moved by Councillor Thompson, seconded by Councillor Ellsmore –

It is resolved that:

(A)      Council note:

(i)         the average size and weight of private vehicles continues to grow, with most new vehicles sold in 2024 being Sport Utility Vehicles (SUVs) - about 57% of all purchases, an increase of 2.4% on the previous year; 

(ii)        SUVs, including luxury SUVs, are vehicles that combine the features of a passenger car with those of an off-road vehicle. They are typically larger and heavier than standard passenger cars, with higher ground clearance;

(iii)      SUVs are killers – they are far more dangerous than normal passenger cars and pose increased risks to pedestrians, cyclists and other road-users, with children eight times more likely to die when hit by a SUV. Their higher ground clearance makes them more likely to collide with a pedestrian’s head or chest, making them more deadly; their height also increases the risk of backing over pedestrians; 

(iv)      if SUVs were a country, they would be the world’s fifth largest emitter of CO2. Large and heavy vehicles like SUVs consume up to 25% more fuel per kilometre and emit 20% more carbon emissions than other cars as well as pollutants with direct public health effects, such as nitrous oxides;  

(v)       the rise of bigger, heavier, dirtier SUVs is wiping out the climate gains from the switch to electric vehicles, and the transport sector is projected to become the biggest source of emissions by 2030; and

(vi)      heavier vehicles increase damage on inner-city roads, thereby increasing maintenance costs on roads, with the largest SUVs doing 16 times more damage than small cars on Australian roads;

(B)      Council further note:

(i)         in 2008 the City of Sydney introduced a resident vehicle parking fee schedule which offers ‘green concessions’ in order to encourage vehicles that with comparatively fewer tailpipe CO2 emissions pay lower fees; 

(ii)        Parisians voted on 4 February 2024 to triple the parking rates for the heaviest, bulkiest, most polluting SUVs, compared to other vehicles. Other French cities including Lyon are now taking similar action; and

(iii)      the Mayor of London has commented in support of higher parking rates for SUVs, as implemented in Paris; and

(C)      the Chief Executive Officer be requested to:

(i)         investigate and report back on the possibility of instituting a Paris-style system imposing higher rates for parking larger and heavier vehicles such as SUVs, including the potential to triple the cost of parking for the heaviest, most polluting, dangerous and bulky vehicles;

(ii)        in preparing the review, ensure that any potential changes consider appropriate equity caveats (for example, considering the needs of people with disabilities, tradespeople, including those who are eligible for Council’s tradesperson permit for parking, and other people with specific mobility or business requirements); 

(iii)      ensure appropriate consultation with people who may be impacted, including with groups such as disability advocacy bodies, road safety groups, existing users of Council’s tradesperson’s permit, and local schools; and

(iv)      ensure that any proposed changes do not perversely discourage the switch to cleaner vehicles which are heavier due to their batteries.

The motion was lost on the following show of hands –

Ayes (2)     Councillors Ellsmore and Thompson

Noes (8)     The Chair (the Lord Mayor), Councillors Arkins, Gannon, Kok, Maxwell, Miller, Weldon and Worling.

Motion lost.

X113760