← All decisions

1. What was proposed (co-sponsored)Elizabeth LeeLiberal · OppositionJames MilliganLiberal · Opposition
   Read the original wording (380 words)

   That this Assembly: (1) notes that: (a) the Government has closed the entire Theatre Lane car park from October 2025 for at least three years for the construction of the new Lyric Theatre; (b) the Theatre Lane car park provides essential access for people with a disability, theatre patrons, staff, local businesses and patients accessing essential medical services; (c) with the closure of other car parks in the area, short-term parking options in the city precinct are limited; and (d) with the Government closing the loading zone in front of Bailey’s Arcade, the Theatre Lane car park provides an offset loading zone that is vital for local businesses operating in the area; (2) further notes that: (a) the Government failed to adequately consult with local small business owners on the impending closure of the Theatre Lane car park; (b) the closure of the Theatre Lane car park and other car parks in Civic will have a significant impact on the viability of many small businesses in the city precinct; (c) many of these businesses have already endured years of disruption – from light rail construction works, bus route changes, the pandemic and repeated road and car park closures; (d) local businesses have reported that visitors to the city centre are in decline due to concerns with increasing anti-social behaviour in the area; and (e) the closure of the Theatre Lane car park will contribute to the declining visitor numbers as accessible parking is a key factor influencing people’s decision to travel into the city; and (3) calls on the Government to: (a) adopt a partial access model for the Theatre Lane car park, maintaining at least 40 to 60 percent of spaces throughout the construction process; (b) guarantee that there is adequate disability and short-stay parking in the Civic cultural precinct during the construction phase of Lyric Theatre; (c) commit to retaining an offset loading zone in the Theatre Lane car park that supports local businesses; (d) table quarterly updates in the Assembly on the progress of the construction works and the number of public parking spaces that have been retained in the Theatre Lane car park; and (e) undertake regular, substantive and ongoing consultation with businesses and services affected by the closure of the Theatre Lane car park.

2. Proposed changeAndrew BarrLabor · Minister30 October 2025

   Grouped by key words as: rewrote the proposal, changed a date or deadline, added reporting or consultation.

   The exact wording of this change

   Omit all text after paragraph (1)(d), substitute: “(2) further notes that: (a) the Government has been in regular contact with business owners in the CBD precinct regarding impacts of construction through multiple forums including face-to-face meetings, monthly city construction updates (print and email), pop-ups in the car park, and direct emails to identified building owners, property managers and businesses; (b) the entire site is required for early works to commence. These works will take place over the entire area that has been closed off. The area is required to enable the works to be done safely – for construction workers, theatre staff and the general public; (c) a temporary loading zone has been retained in the Theatre Lane car park to allow delivery vehicles to continue to access nearby businesses; (d) all permit and accessible parking spaces have been relocated to the nearby City Hill and Hobart Place car parks; (e) the Government will identify opportunities for additional accessible parking in the vicinity of the Theatre Lane car park; (f) the 2025-2026 Indicative Land Release Program has the City Hill car park (Block 1 Section 116) being released for sale in 2025-2026; and (g) the remainder of the Theatre Carpark (part Block 19 Section 23) is identified as an urban renewal site that will be sold by the City Renewal Authority at some stage in the future; and (3) calls on the Government to: (a) develop a parking plan showing how sufficient accessible car parking spaces will be provided for people visiting the Lyric Theatre and other businesses, services and community facilities in the Civic Cultural District when sites are developed; (b) undertake consultation on the parking plan at (3)(a); (c) continue working on opportunities to increase accessible parking spaces in the vicinity of the Theatre Lane car park based on expert advice; (d) continue to undertake regular, substantive and ongoing consultation with businesses impacted by the construction projects in the CBD, including through monthly City Construction Information Group meetings; (e) commit to retaining a loading zone to support local businesses; and (f) table annual updates in the Legislative Assembly on the progress of the construction works and the number of parking spaces that have been retained or relocated in the Theatre Lane car park vicinity.”. Debate continued.

   Agreed on the voices. No individual votes were recorded. Its wording is in the final text.

3. Proposed changeThomas EmersonIndependent · Crossbench30 October 2025

   Added accessible parking, disability access compliance and GP accreditation. Our summary, review in progress

   The exact wording of this change

   to the motion, as amended, together: 1. After paragraph (2)(e), insert: “(f) during Question Time on 23 October 2025, the Chief Minister indicated that the accessible car parking spaces removed from the Theatre Lane car park have been relocated to “within several hundred metres” of the car park; (g) the loss of dedicated accessible parking spaces from the Theatre Lane car park imposes an unrealistic and unreasonable expectation on people with disability and other community members with mobility restrictions to travel several hundred metres further to reach their destination; (h) the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners’ Standards for general practices (5th edition) dictate that, in order to be compliant with the Disability Discrimination Act 1992 (Cwlth), a practice “must provide access to disability parking”; and (i) a general practice near the Theatre Lane car park has expressed concerns that the removal of accessible parking spaces from the Theatre Lane car park risks threatening their general practice accreditation;”. 2. After paragraph (3)(c), insert: “(d) take urgent action to provide sufficient accessible parking spaces in, or adjacent to, the Theatre Lane car park to ensure compliance with disability discrimination laws; (e) review parking changes to ensure that nearby medical practices’ accreditation requirements are not impacted;”. Debate continued.

   Agreed on the voices. No individual votes were recorded. Its wording is in the final text.

4. What the Assembly decidedAgreed

   Decided on the voices: no individual votes were recorded, so this doesn’t show that every MLA agreed.

   Final agreed wording, with changes marked

   That this Assembly: (1) notes that: (a) the Government has closed the entire Theatre Lane car park from October 2025 for at least three years for the construction of the new Lyric Theatre; (b) the Theatre Lane car park provides essential access for people with a disability, theatre patrons, staff, local businesses and patients accessing essential medical services; (c) with the closure of other car parks in the area, short-term parking options in the city precinct are limited; and (d) with the Government closing the loading zone in front of Bailey’s Arcade, the Theatre Lane car park provides an offset loading zone that is vital for local businesses operating in the area; (2) further notes that: (a) the Government has been in regular contact with business owners in the CBD precinct regarding impacts of construction through multiple forums including face-to-face meetings, monthly city construction updates (print and email), pop-ups in the car park, and direct emails to identified building owners, property managers and businesses; (b) the entire site is required for early works to commence. These works will take place over the entire area that has been closed off. The area is required to enable the works to be done safely – for construction workers, theatre staff and the general public; (c) a temporary loading zone has been retained in the Theatre Lane car park to allow delivery vehicles to continue to access nearby businesses; (d) all permit and accessible parking spaces have been relocated to the nearby City Hill and Hobart Place car parks; (e) the Government will identify opportunities for additional accessible parking in the vicinity of the Theatre Lane car park; (f) during Question Time on 23 October 2025, the Chief Minister indicated that the accessible car parking spaces removed from the Theatre Lane car park have been relocated to “within several hundred metresEmerson” of the car park; (g) the loss of dedicated accessible parking spaces from the Theatre Lane car park imposes an unrealistic and unreasonable expectation on people with disability and other community members with mobility restrictions to travel several hundred metres further to reach their destination; (h) the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners’ Standards for general practices (5th edition) dictate that, in order to be compliant with the Disability Discrimination Act 1992 (Cwlth), a practice “must provide access to disability parkingEmerson”; (i) a general practice near the Theatre Lane car park has expressed concerns that the removal of accessible parking spaces from the Theatre Lane car park risks threatening their general practice accreditation; (j) the 2025-2026 Indicative Land Release Program has the City Hill car park (Block 1 Section 116) being released for sale in 2025-2026; and (k) the remainder of the Theatre Carpark (part Block 19 Section 23) is identified as an urban renewal site that will be sold by the City Renewal Authority at some stage in the future; and (3) calls on the Government to: (a) develop a parking plan showing how sufficient accessible car parking spaces will be provided for people visiting the Lyric Theatre and other businesses, services and community facilities in the Civic Cultural District when sites are developed; (b) undertake consultation on the parking plan at (3)(a); (c) continue working on opportunities to increase accessible parking spaces in the vicinity of the Theatre Lane car park based on expert advice; (d) take urgent action to provide sufficient accessible parking spaces in, or adjacent to, the Theatre Lane car park to ensure compliance with disability discrimination laws; (e) review parking changes to ensure that nearby medical practices’ accreditation requirements are not impactedEmerson; (f) continue to undertake regular, substantive and ongoing consultation with businesses impacted by the construction projects in the CBD, including through monthly City Construction Information Group meetings; (g) commit to retaining a loading zone to support local businesses; and (h) table annual updates in the Legislative Assembly on the progress of the construction works and the number of parking spaces that have been retained or relocated in the Theatre Lane car park vicinity.

   Original and final wording compared

   taken out put in

   That this Assembly: (1) notes that: (a) the Government has closed the entire Theatre Lane car park from October 2025 for at least three years for the construction of the new Lyric Theatre; (b) the Theatre Lane car park provides essential access for people with a disability, theatre patrons, staff, local businesses and patients accessing essential medical services; (c) with the closure of other car parks in the area, short-term parking options in the city precinct are limited; and (d) with the Government closing the loading zone in front of Bailey’s Arcade, the Theatre Lane car park provides an offset loading zone that is vital for local businesses operating in the area; (2) further notes that: (a) the Government [taken out: failed to adequately consult][put in: has been in regular contact]with [taken out: local small]business owners [taken out: on][put in: in]the [taken out: impending closure][put in: CBD precinct regarding impacts]of [put in: construction through multiple forums including face-to-face meetings, monthly city construction updates (print and email), pop-ups in]the [taken out: Theatre Lane]car park, [put in: and direct emails to identified building owners, property managers and businesses;](b) the [taken out: closure of][put in: entire site is required for early works to commence. These works will take place over]the [put in: entire area that has been closed off. The area is required to enable the works to be done safely – for construction workers,]theatre [put in: staff and the general public; (c) a temporary loading zone has been retained in the Theatre]Lane car park [put in: to allow delivery vehicles to continue to access nearby businesses; (d) all permit]and [taken out: other][put in: accessible parking spaces have been relocated to the nearby City Hill and Hobart Place]car parks; [taken out: in Civic will have a significant impact on][put in: (e)]the [taken out: viability of many small businesses][put in: Government will identify opportunities for additional accessible parking]in the [taken out: city precinct; (c) many][put in: vicinity]of [taken out: these businesses][put in: the Theatre Lane car park; (f) during Question Time on 23 October 2025, the Chief Minister indicated that the accessible car parking spaces removed from the Theatre Lane car park]have [taken out: already endured years][put in: been relocated to “within several hundred metres”]of [taken out: disruption –][put in: the car park; (g) the loss of dedicated accessible parking spaces]from [taken out: light rail construction works, bus route changes,]the [taken out: pandemic and repeated road and][put in: Theatre Lane]car park [taken out: closures; (d) local businesses have reported that visitors][put in: imposes an unrealistic and unreasonable expectation on people with disability and other community members with mobility restrictions]to [put in: travel several hundred metres further to reach their destination; (h)]the [taken out: city centre are][put in: Royal Australian College of General Practitioners’ Standards for general practices (5th edition) dictate that,]in [taken out: decline due][put in: order]to [taken out: concerns][put in: be compliant]with [taken out: increasing anti-social behaviour in]the [taken out: area; and (e) the closure of][put in: Disability Discrimination Act 1992 (Cwlth), a practice “must provide access to disability parking”; (i) a general practice near]the Theatre Lane car park [taken out: will contribute to][put in: has expressed concerns that]the [taken out: declining visitor numbers as][put in: removal of]accessible parking [put in: spaces from the Theatre Lane car park risks threatening their general practice accreditation; (j) the 2025-2026 Indicative Land Release Program has the City Hill car park (Block 1 Section 116) being released for sale in 2025-2026; and (k) the remainder of the Theatre Carpark (part Block 19 Section 23)]is [taken out: a key factor influencing people’s decision to travel into][put in: identified as an urban renewal site that will be sold by]the City [put in: Renewal Authority at some stage in the future;]and (3) calls on the Government to: (a) [taken out: adopt][put in: develop]a [taken out: partial access model for the Theatre Lane][put in: parking plan showing how sufficient accessible]car [taken out: park, maintaining at least 40 to 60 percent of][put in: parking]spaces [taken out: throughout][put in: will be provided for people visiting]the [taken out: construction process; (b) guarantee that there is adequate disability][put in: Lyric Theatre]and [taken out: short-stay parking][put in: other businesses, services and community facilities]in the Civic Cultural [taken out: precinct during][put in: District when sites are developed; (b) undertake consultation on]the [taken out: construction phase][put in: parking plan at (3)(a); (c) continue working on opportunities to increase accessible parking spaces in the vicinity]of [taken out: Lyric][put in: the]Theatre [taken out: (c) commit][put in: Lane car park based on expert advice; (d) take urgent action]to [taken out: retaining an offset loading zone][put in: provide sufficient accessible parking spaces]in, [put in: or adjacent to,]the Theatre Lane car park [put in: to ensure compliance with disability discrimination laws; (e) review parking changes to ensure]that [taken out: supports][put in: nearby medical practices’ accreditation requirements are not impacted; (f) continue to undertake regular, substantive and ongoing consultation with businesses impacted by the construction projects in the CBD, including through monthly City Construction Information Group meetings; (g) commit to retaining a loading zone to support]local businesses; [taken out: (d)][put in: and (h)]table [taken out: quarterly][put in: annual]updates in the [put in: Legislative]Assembly on the progress of the construction works and the number of [taken out: public]parking spaces that have been retained [put in: or relocated]in the Theatre Lane car park [taken out: and (e) undertake regular, substantive and ongoing consultation with businesses and services affected by the closure of the Theatre Lane car park.][put in: vicinity.]

   Compared word by word by computer, ignoring punctuation. It shows what differs, not which change made each difference; the steps above show that.