By-laws are designed to provide good rule and governance and assist council in providing a convenient, safe, comfortable and inclusive space for its community. We are committed to ensuring our By-laws reflect the needs and expectations of our community.

Council’s authority to make a By-law is derived from Section 246 of the Local Government Act 1999 (SA) which requires the review and formal adoption of the By-laws. It is also a legislated requirement that Council reviews (and if necessary, revises) its By-laws every seven years. Our previous By-laws were reviewed and some minor changes were proposed. The vast majority of the proposed changes were minor in nature and were a result of legislative, interpretive or grammatical factors.

We asked for feedback on these proposed draft By-laws to gather valuable insights and perspectives to help shape the final versions of these By-laws; ensuring they are fair, effective, and beneficial for all city users, residents and businesses within the City of Adelaide. Community feedback was crucial in the By-law review process; to inform our decisions and help us maintain a vibrant, safe, and well-regulated city.

The proposed draft By-laws were presented to Council on Tuesday 11 June 2024, the report and attachments can be found here.

We thank the community for providing feedback on the draft By-laws. Following consultation with the community, at its meeting on 27 August 2024 Council endorsed the 2024 By-laws. As of 5 January 2025 the 2024 By-laws came into effect, and can be found here.

The majority of feedback received during consultation, both positive and negative, centred on questions and clarity regarding gender inclusivity in public conveniences. Feedback also included suggestions for improving the placement of a-frame signs, and support for residential waste collection and compliance among other matters. The consultation report can be found here.

Following feedback from Legislative Review Committee regarding the 2024 By-laws, three relatively minor amendments were proposed. The amendments do not materially alter the intent of the By-laws, however they provide greater clarity and are intended to avoid any confusion.

In summary, the amendments include:

• Moveable Signs By-Law 2024, By-law No. 2: Ensuring that any consideration by an Authorised Officer relating to a Moveable Sign is ‘reasonably’ objective
• Local Government Land By-Law 2024, By-law No. 3:
  • Tightening up references to ensure operators given permission to use forklifts in the Central Market have the required licenses
  • Correcting cross referencing of a certain section in the By-law.

We asked for public input on the proposed amendments, to be enacted via the draft Miscellaneous Amendment By-law 2025, City of Adelaide By-law No. 10.

All written submissions received were duly considered and presented to Council in the form of a report in a Council Meeting.

Council has now completed the adoption of the Miscellaneous Amendment By-law 2025 (City of Adelaide By-law No.10), following community consultation and a formal decision at the Council meeting on 22 April 2025.

The By-law will be published in the South Australian Government Gazette on 1 May 2025 and will come into effect from 1 September 2025. This timeframe allows community members, businesses, and visitors time to familiarise themselves with the changes before they formally commence.

We thank everyone who provided feedback during the consultation period. Your contributions play a vital role in helping to shape a vibrant, safe, and welcoming city for all.