The SA Politics Thread

[Nathan]

We live in a country with free choice and a free market.

If a car manufacturer thinks they can sell larger cars and there's a market for them, they will.
If people want to buy those larger cars, or whatever sized cars with whatever engine type, they will.

Let's not forget that this arms race of ridiculous size cars only came about due to loop holes in emission standards in the US, and exacerbated by tax incentives here.

Lets not forget then the incentives for going "green" either.

I thought you just argued that it's a free market? Pick one.

[bits]

This is all a silly conversation as on street parking is not because of ego boosting larger cars not fitting in the garage of the house.
I don't see any evidence that there is a larger amount of large vehicles using on street parking.
From my eyes most on street parking appears to be of lower value cars.
I assume it is mostly the second, third or fourth car(s) for a household that is ending up on the street.

Other points raised are likely valid, eg:
Everyone in a house over 16 having their own car.
Garages filled with storage instead of cars.

I would also add an issue is likely many houses only have a single driveway but the occupants want numerous cars. Instead of double, triple or worse parking they stick cars on the street.


Fix the dependency on cars or build homes that can better accommodate cars.

[Jaymz]

Fix the dependency on cars or build homes that can better accommodate cars.

We'll never fix the dependency on cars in Adelaide until it becomes a traffic congested hell-hole. We are decades away from being at that point.

We also won't fix it because cars have become a status symbol in our society, second only to the dwellings we live in. It's plainly obvious that Joe and Jill public couldn't care a less about global warming, otherwise we'd all be driving around in small sedans or, at worst, small SUV's. I always imagined 20 or 30 years ago that by now we'd all be driving around in buzz boxes, but obviously that hasn't eventuated.

[rev]

Let's not forget that this arms race of ridiculous size cars only came about due to loop holes in emission standards in the US, and exacerbated by tax incentives here.

Lets not forget then the incentives for going "green" either.

I thought you just argued that it's a free market? Pick one.

"ridiculous size cars" lol
Out of curiosity Nathan, have you ever driven one? They're surprisingly very easy to drive and handle great.

You argued that there are tax incentives for larger vehicles. I pointed out there's incentives both ways. Facts, or just whats convenient. Pick one.

There's no tax break for you to buy a Dodge Ram if you're not a business owner. If there is, feel free to fill me in because I'll probably go buy one and exploit that tax break. Unfortunately I've missed out on the TRX variant, but with Trump back in the White House you never know what performance models they might decide to bring out.

I know a couple blokes who own these "emotional support vehicles". Both are plumbers in fact, run their own small businesses. They both have mini-excavators that they tow to job sites.
Job sites that can get quite muddy. Will a Tesla or BYD be able to get in/out of a muddy job site? Will they be able to tow a mini-excavator that weighs just over a tonne?

One of those mates has a caravan, goes off road with it in the outback. Is a Tesla going to be able to achieve any of that?
He also takes the boat out. 22footer that weighs about a tonne dry. Hows the Tesla gonna do in that situation? Will it be able to tow it, let alone pull it back up a ramp?

These might be capabilities that Tesla and other EV makers may develop in the future, but they're not capable of any of that today.

Take away the government subsidies for home solar, and you'd probably wipe out a good 60-70% of EV sales. Who in their right mind would buy an EV and charged it on mains with power prices the way they are.
And no I'm not arguing against home solar or EV's, but many owners of "emotional support vehicles" don't own a business yet they're still dropping $150k~ to buy them.

Both types of vehicles have a place.

[rev]

This is all a silly conversation as on street parking is not because of ego boosting larger cars not fitting in the garage of the house.
I don't see any evidence that there is a larger amount of large vehicles using on street parking.
From my eyes most on street parking appears to be of lower value cars.
I assume it is mostly the second, third or fourth car(s) for a household that is ending up on the street.

Other points raised are likely valid, eg:
Everyone in a house over 16 having their own car.
Garages filled with storage instead of cars.

I would also add an issue is likely many houses only have a single driveway but the occupants want numerous cars. Instead of double, triple or worse parking they stick cars on the street.


Fix the dependency on cars or build homes that can better accommodate cars.

Another emerging issue is all the uber vehicles.
It only takes one household for that to be an issue.
We have a large migrant community from the sub continent, many of whom when they arrive move in with family or friends until they get settled and find their feet here. You might have 5-6 people driving in a household.
My street has about 4 uber vehicles parked down it every night, all from the one household. Quite a few friends have noticed the same thing in their neighbourhoods too.

In regards to the government changing planning laws for larger minimum garage sizes, about time. It's overdue in fact.
Most new houses built in the last 20 years especially from the larger volume builders have tiny garages. If you have two sedans, it's a tight squeeze in most.

There should be more done at council level about on street parking though.

[bits]

I would add kids staying at home longer does this also.
Once all the excess cars were a 2-3 year problem for a house until the kids moved out.
Kids staying until they are 25-30+ means it is an average 10-15 years problem instead of 2 years.

That is caused by housing affordability.