South Australian councils want tougher e-bike and e-scooter rules, and one wants a path ban
South Australia's review of e-bike and personal mobility device rules closed for public submissions on 16 August, and two pieces of council feedback landed either side of that deadline that are worth knowing about if you ride, or are about to buy, an e-bike in the state.
The peak body wants clearer rules and better enforcement
The Local Government Association of South Australia, which represents councils across the state, has published its submission to the review. It backs the continued use of compliant e-bikes and personal mobility devices, but argues a stronger legislative framework is needed to deal with rising community concern about illegal devices, unsafe riding, unclear enforcement responsibilities and gaps in path infrastructure. LGA SA president, Mayor Heather Holmes-Ross, said councils are hearing growing safety concerns from their communities about e-bikes and e-scooters on shared paths and in busy public spaces, citing excessive speed and riders failing to give way to pedestrians as recurring complaints.
One council wants a path banned outright
The most concrete example of that pressure is coming from the City of Holdfast Bay, on Adelaide's southern coast. Council endorsed a letter to South Australia's Minister for Infrastructure and Transport, Joe Szakacs, asking the state government to consider a legislative mechanism that could prohibit e-bikes and e-scooters on the Coast Park shared path between The Broadway at Glenelg and Kingston Park. The council says it supports these devices as part of a more sustainable transport mix, but that a year of community reports covering dangerous riding, excessive speed and illegal or modified devices on that particular stretch of path has made the case for a ban worth putting to government. Councils cannot set or enforce speed limits themselves, so Holdfast Bay is also pushing for regular police patrols and targeted enforcement along the path through the 2026 to 2027 summer.
What happens next
None of this changes the law today. The state government is still working through submissions to its broader review, and a path-specific ban would need its own legislative process even if the government agrees with Holdfast Bay's request. But it shows where the pressure is coming from as the review moves into its next phase: not just individual riders doing the wrong thing, but local government asking for clearer rules and the ability to actually act on complaints.
What it means for buyers: nothing here restricts a compliant e-bike today, but it is a reminder that popular shared paths are the flashpoint, not suburban streets. If you ride or plan to ride on a busy coastal or river path anywhere in South Australia, sticking to a legal, compliant e-bike and riding to the conditions is the best way to stay clear of whatever rules come out of this review. When you are comparing e-bikes on BikeFinder, a compliant 250 watt, 25 km/h pedal-assist spec is the safe baseline regardless of where these local pushes end up.