See how we've assessed them for all policy statements included in the Build a Ballot tool. Want to suggest a revision? Send us an email at tool@buildaballot.org.au
Policy
Evidence of support
Support level
Streamline planning approvals for strata developments that meet good design standards in well-located areas
No announcements, but the federal Liberal Party published a high-level discussion paper in February 2026 outlining their plan for deregulation. While cutting red tape is core to Liberal Party policy, this proposal could be at odds with the SA Liberals' focus on preserving the heritage and character of South Australian suburbs.
https://brightersa.com.au/policies/a-plan-to-save-our-suburbs
Establish a fund to purchase land for housing and underwrite apartment construction projects
No announcements. The Liberals' housing platform is also focused on supporting industry to build more housing but via a $40 million Build Better Fund, with grants and low interest finance for businesses who wish to invest in Modern Methods of Construction (MMC). Federal Liberal policy is currently focused on cutting red tape to unlock more housing supply.
Build more social housing to reduce the public housing waitlist and plan for future demand
No announcements. The Liberals' housing platform is also focused on supporting industry to build more housing but via a $40 million Build Better Fund, with grants and low interest finance for businesses who wish to invest in Modern Methods of Construction (MMC). Federal Liberal policy is currently focused on cutting red tape to unlock more housing supply.
Cap rent increases in line with CPI
No announcements. The Liberals' housing platform is focused on reducing barriers into the housing market by removing stamp duty for eligible first homebuyers.
https://brightersa.com.au/policies/removing-stamp-duty-for-first-home-buyers
Remove stamp duty for eligible first homebuyers on existing homes and older South Australians downsizing to smaller homes
Liberals have announced they would remove stamp duty for first home buyers for existing properties up to $1 million and downsizers looking to move into a smaller home will be given a one-off stamp duty concession of $15,000 on properties valued up to $1.2 million.
https://brightersa.com.au/policies/removing-stamp-duty-for-first-home-buyers
https://brightersa.com.au/policies/unlocking-family-homes-with-downsizing
Prohibit new residential gas connections from a specified date
No announcements. The federal and SA Liberals are focused on increasing the supply of gas and guaranteeing gas-powered electricity generation in the future.
https://www.liberal.org.au/policy/our-plan-to-deliver-australian-gas-for-australians
https://brightersa.com.au/policies/keeping-the-lights-on-in-south-australia
Introduce measures such as grants to encourage landlords to install solar panels on rental properties
Liberals have announced they would introduce a $20 million Solar for Renters Scheme, providing landlords and renters with subsidy and no-interest loans to install solar panels.
Set minimum energy efficiency standards for rental properties (covering heating, cooling, hot water, shower heads, ceiling insulation and draughtproofing) from a specified date
No announcements, but the Liberals would provide landlords and renters with a subsidy and no-interest loans to install solar panels. According to Solar Citizens, “The SA Liberal policy would be even more effective if it included rebates and loans for energy efficiency upgrades, and policy support for Mandatory Minimum Energy Efficiency in rental homes.” Federal Liberal policy does not address this issue.
Establish a fund to support more strata properties to connect to shared solar panel and battery systems, Virtual Power Plants and solar gardens
No announcements, but the Liberals would provide landlords and renters with a subsidy and no-interest loans to install solar panels. Federal Liberal policy does not address this issue.
Increase investment in green spaces, prioritising high-risk communities
Liberals have announced they would reinstate the $2 million per annum Greener Neighbourhoods grant scheme for street trees and the greening of parks and incentivise maintaining and growing tree canopy on private land.
https://brightersa.com.au/policies/a-plan-to-save-our-suburbs
Legislate a minimum standard of access to clean, safe and affordable water
No announcements on a basic level of service. Liberals have withdrawn a previous policy to reverse Labor’s 3.5 per cent water bill increase, aimed at lowering water bills.
https://brightersa.com.au/policies/helping-our-farmers-tackle-bushfires
Establish clear, coordinated responsibilities across departments and agencies for preparing and responding to climate-related disasters (such as algal blooms, heatwaves, bushfires, flooding and droughts) and increase long-term multi-year funding for these activities
No announcements, but the Liberals would focus on supporting farmers to protect their properties and communities from bushfires, and extending the current farm firefighting units grant program for another four years.
https://brightersa.com.au/policies/helping-our-farmers-tackle-bushfires
Expand fully protected zones and increase investment in acquiring and restoring high biodiversity land, freshwater and ocean ecosystems to protect under the National Parks and Wildlife Act
Liberals have announced they would establish a committee under Green Adelaide to improve the biodiversity of the Park Lands and a target to grow the open space footprint of the Park Lands by 5%, as well as invest in voluntary marine buybacks, restoring 50 hectares of new shellfish reefs across South Australia, undertake a Royal Commission into the Algal Bloom, and seek world heritage listing for the Great Australian Bight.
https://brightersa.com.au/policies/a-plan-to-save-our-suburbs
Introduce a levy on plastic waste to encourage manufacturers to find alternatives and reduce waste generation
No announcements, but the Liberals would focus on protecting coastlines with a zero litter to ocean target by 2035. South Australia's phased ban approach to reducing plastic waste – originally introduced by the Liberal Government in 2020 – does not include a levy.
Increase funding for childcare services to build new centres and expand existing centres
No announcements, but the Liberals would focus on targeted infrastructure upgrades and maintenance works at priority school, preschool and childcare sites, not funding new childcare centres. Federal Liberal policy prioritises investing in early childhood education and care in rural and regional Australia.
https://brightersa.com.au/policies/boosting-investment-in-education-infrastructure
Invest in inclusive school facilities for students with autism and provide extra support services (such as psychologists and speech pathologists) for students experiencing disadvantage
No announcements, but the Liberals would focus on targeted infrastructure upgrades and maintenance works at priority school, preschool and childcare sites, not investing in inclusive school facilities. Federal Liberal policy does not address this issue.
https://brightersa.com.au/policies/boosting-investment-in-education-infrastructure
Invest in more apprenticeships, university scholarships, upskilling courses and technical colleges to support students to pursue skilled careers
Liberals have announced they would introduce a seven-point plan to address South Australia's skills shortage by delivering better training and more opportunities for apprentices and trainees.
https://brightersa.com.au/policies/boosting-south-australian-apprentices
Fully cover all public school costs for families including materials and services charges and fees for extracurricular activities during school hours
No announcements, but the Liberals would focus on targeted infrastructure upgrades and maintenance works at priority school, preschool and childcare sites, not investing in covering all public school costs for families. Federal policy does not address covering all public school costs.
https://brightersa.com.au/policies/boosting-investment-in-education-infrastructure
https://www.liberal.org.au/policy/our-plan-to-return-australia-to-a-top-10-education-nation
Increase funding for infrastructure upgrades at schools, preschools and childcare centres
Liberals have announced they would increase funding by $12.7 million a year for capital works at non-government schools, on top of $120 million in targeted infrastructure upgrades and maintenance works at priority government schools, preschools and childcare sites.
https://brightersa.com.au/policies/fixing-infrastructure-at-all-schools
https://brightersa.com.au/policies/boosting-investment-in-education-infrastructure
Commit to 100% renewable energy generation, increase investment in large-scale renewable energy infrastructure, and implement measures to ensure responsible delivery (such as benefit sharing guidelines and payment schemes)
Liberals have announced they would ditch the 100 per cent per cent renewables net electricity generation target by 2027 to focus on fighting for affordability.
Phase out subsidies for fossil fuel companies
No announcements, but the Liberals would focus on guaranteeing gas-powered electricity generation in the future and and ensuring the ongoing operation of the Torrens Island Power Station B in the meantime, complementing federal Liberal policy to underwrite fossil fuels.
https://brightersa.com.au/policies/keeping-the-lights-on-in-south-australia
Strengthen state planning and environment laws to stop new gas approvals and expansions
No announcements, but the Liberals would focus on guaranteeing gas-powered electricity generation in the future and and ensuring the ongoing operation of the Torrens Island Power Station B in the meantime. Federal Liberal policy focuses on less regulatory intervention and the expansion of gas in the energy mix.
https://brightersa.com.au/policies/keeping-the-lights-on-in-south-australia
Increase recruitment and retention incentives (such as relocation packages and bonuses) for healthcare professionals, particularly in regional areas
Liberals would focus on boosting the healthcare workforce through a package to deliver attraction and retention benefits (such as a $40,000 incentive for GPs) but have not provided details of a policy that would incentivise doctors to work regionally.
Build new mental health assessment units at major hospitals
No announcements, but the Liberals would focus on establishing five Transition Care Centres across metropolitan and regional areas for patients who no longer require a hospital bed but are awaiting appropriate long-term care and support.
https://brightersa.com.au/policies/establishing-five-transition-care-centres
Expand the remit of Preventative Health SA and increase funding for its programs
No announcements, but Shadow Health Minister Heidi Girolamo spoke about preventive health measures without providing specifics.
Remove payroll tax on GPs and provide funding to support GPs to extend their opening hours
Liberals have announced they would abolish GP payroll tax and fund a GPs after-hours access trial with grants of up to $150,000 per practice.
https://brightersa.com.au/policies/abolishing-labors-gp-payroll-tax-grab
https://brightersa.com.au/policies/we-will-make-it-easier-to-access-your-gp
Protect South Australia’s current abortion laws and continue to treat abortion as a healthcare service
The Liberals' stance remains a point of tension after Liberal MP Ben Hood's 2024 bill to restrict abortions after 27 weeks was narrowly defeated in the upper house amid strong opposition from others like Liberal MLC Michelle Lensink. At the federal level in 2025, Senator Jane Hume (current Deputy Leader of the Opposition) declared that "it's not an issue for the federal government".
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-10-17/abortion-legislation-vote-south-australia/104477762
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-10-23/federal-coalition-mps-move-to-cool-abortion-debate/104508372?
Provide rebates for pre-IVF fertility testing and fertility treatments
Opposition Leader Ashton Hurn said Labor's IVF pledge was a "good move" which could help families afford IVF, but said the eligibility criteria should be broadened. Whilst we think this is a good initiative … if you look at how it's implemented in practice, there will be a number of people who would miss out. This goes to the heart of making sure that we have got an affordable South Australia."
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-01-12/labor-ivf-fertility-rebate-election-pledge/106220664
Increase investment in network of EV charging infrastructure, particularly in rural and regional South Australia
No announcements or specific commitments, however, the Liberals are focusing on other policies such as addressing road maintenance backlogs and improving the connectivity and availability of public transport.
https://daily.raa.com.au/growth-with-gridlock-response/
https://brightersa.com.au/policies/clearing-the-road-maintenance-backlog
https://brightersa.com.au/policies/on-demand-public-transport-trial-for-mount-gambier
Increase investment in road maintenance to address South Australia’s increasing backlog
Liberals have announced they would invest $1 billion over four years to break the back of South Australia’s growing road maintenance backlog.
https://brightersa.com.au/policies/clearing-the-road-maintenance-backlog
Increase investment in public transport infrastructure and services to improve the frequency and reliability of public transport across South Australia
Liberals have announced they are focused on the connectivity and availability of public transport for key regional areas across South Australia, extending on-demand bus services in Port Pirie, Victor Harbor, Mt. Gambier, the Barossa, Adelaide Hills, and, for the first time, introducing a direct service from Murray Bridge to Adelaide.
https://brightersa.com.au/policies/on-demand-public-transport-trial-for-mount-gambier
Introduce a 50 cent flat fare for all public transport trips
Liberals have announced they would reduce regular Adelaide Metro fares to 50 cents.
https://brightersa.com.au/policies/50-cent-fares-for-all-public-transport-rides
Increase investment in active transport infrastructure to deliver on South Australia’s Walking Strategy and Cycling Strategy
No announcements, but Liberals would focus on preserving and enhancing Linear Park which thousands of South Australia use for exercising or travelling to and from work.
Increase funding for evidence-based early intervention and community support programs
Liberals have announced they would establish a $40 million Breaking the Cycle Fund to deliver targeted support and rehabilitation, giving at-risk youth a genuine chance to change direction.
https://brightersa.com.au/policies/breaking-the-youth-crime-cycle
Raise the minimum age of criminal responsibility to 14
Jack Batty MP (Shadow Minister for Police and Correctional Services) has been critical of the proposal to raise the age of criminal responsibility, instead calling for more police officers and tougher laws, including higher penalties for breaching bail.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-03-02/sa-opposition-claims-youth-crime-crisis/104993348?
Provide grants to businesses and councils for security measures such as CCTV, alarm and intercom systems, lighting, fences and gates
Liberals have announced they would establish a $10 million Safer Communities Fund, including grants and increased measures to protect local, small and family business.
https://jackbatty.com.au/media-release/liberals-pledge-for-safer-communities