State government reintroduces 50 per cent rebate for Kangaroo Island vehicle registrations

Now he is pleased to report that he has been able to work the upcoming state budget so as to reintroduce the rebate from July for KI residents.

Mr Bignell said it was very shortsighted of the previous Liberal state government to get rid of the registration rebate for KI residents.

"When the Liberal Party removed the rebate after winning government in 2018, no one could quite believe it," he said.

Mr Bignell said the council had to fork out more than $100,000 extra a year in ratepayers' money to register all the council vehicles.

The move only saved a small amount from the state budget but placed a big burden on KI residents, already being hit by much higher fuel costs than on the mainland, he said.

"With higher fuel costs and inflation, the savings couldn't come at a better time for everyone on KI," Mr Bignell said. "We care about people, we listen and we act. (Premier Peter Malinauskas) and I also appreciate the fact Kangaroo Island isn't like the rest of South Australia in so many ways."

One local who has welcomed the reintroduction of the rebate is Mike Smith from KI Freight Services.

Mr Smith said Island trucking companies had to have extra vehicles in place to overcome the challenges of getting to the mainland and so were unfairly burdened.

He currently runs five B-double trucks, another prime mover and numerous trailers, fork lifts and tray tops, paying more than $140,000 in total registration.

Mr Smith said now that the state registration relief was coming, the federal government needed to look at reducing the excise on diesel for commercial trucking companies.

Another matter that Island trucking companies are working on is the need to preserve unhitching space at Penneshaw.

The expansion on the desalination plant was going to impact on trucking companies that used the side of Hog Bay Road to park unused trailers.

Mr Smith said he was in discussions with both the council and SA Water to reserve the spaces.

Mr Bignell meanwhile said he was really pleased with the reintroduction of the rebate.

"I organised petitions, wrote letters to ministers, asked questions of then-Premier, Steven Marshall, in Parliament asking the Liberals to reverse the cruel hit on Kangaroo Islanders," he said.

"Mike Smith who owns KI Freight had to spend an extra $70,000 a year to register his vehicles and trailers. Those costs are eventually passed on to consumers who buy things transported to the island.

"Then Opposition Leader, Peter Malinauskas, listened to my pleas on behalf of islanders and wrote to everyone on the island to tell them he'd reverse the decision if we won the March 2022 election.

"Well, we won and Pete is sticking to his promise. From July 1 this year the 50 per cent motor vehicle registration rebate will be re- introduced for the people of Kangaroo Island."