DVA Gold Card Concessions SA: Full List of Benefits

South Australia provides Gold Card concessions across transport, registration, household costs, and spectacles. There’s one major point to get right upfront: SA no longer has a direct council rates concession. It was abolished in 2015 and replaced with a direct cash payment called the Cost of Living Concession (COLC). If you’ve been expecting a rates reduction on your council bill, you need to be applying for the COLC instead.

As with all states, embossing matters. Cards marked TPI, EDA, or War Widow/Widower unlock more concessions than a standard Gold Card. Where this distinction applies, it’s flagged below.

Public transport

Vehicle registration

• 66.667% reduction on registration for TPI, EDA, or veterans with ≥50 MRCA impairment points (one vehicle). Stamp duty exemptions on vehicle purchases apply to those assessed at ≥70% Disability Compensation Payment.
• 50% reduction for Gold Card holders who also hold a DVA PCC (one vehicle plus one trailer).

Administered by Service SA (13 10 84). Driver’s licence fee concessions apply under similar eligibility criteria.

Cost of Living Concession — replaces council rates

SA’s council rates concession was abolished in 2015. The replacement is the Cost of Living Concession (COLC) — a direct annual cash payment of $261.90 per year (2025–26), paid directly to your nominated bank account in late August each year.

Apply online at sa.gov.au/concessions, by calling ConcessionsSA on 1800 307 758, or at a Service SA centre. You apply once — the payment then recurs annually while you remain eligible.

Energy concessions

SA provides two energy concession layers for eligible cardholders (TPI, EDA, War Widow/Widower, ≥80 MRCA IP, or PCC):

Register through the ConcessionsSA application form, which can cover energy, water, sewerage, and COLC in one process.

Water and sewerage

SA provides a water concession of up to 30% of the total water bill and a sewerage rate remission of up to $162.20 per year (owner-occupiers only). Same eligibility as COLC and energy. Register through ConcessionsSA (1800 307 758) or sa.gov.au/concessions.

Spectacles — expanded January 2025

The GlassesSA program expanded eligibility to include DVA Gold Card holders from 1 January 2025. This provides subsidised spectacles at authorised optometrists: single vision lenses from $25, bifocal $50, multifocal $100.

GlassesSA operates alongside DVA’s federal optical entitlements — you can access both. DVA covers two pairs every two years at DVA-registered optometrists. GlassesSA provides an additional subsidised option at authorised providers. Ask your optometrist which programs they participate in.

Ambulance

DVA provides ambulance cover for all Gold Card holders nationally for clinically necessary transport. SA Ambulance Service (SAAS) does not provide universal free ambulance to all SA residents — a subscription or concession card cover is required for non-DVA situations. SAAS membership discounts are available specifically to PCC holders, not Gold Card holders without a PCC. DVA coverage is the primary protection for Gold Card holders in SA. If you receive an ambulance bill, contact DVA on 1800 838 372 before paying.

Frequently asked questions

SA abolished its council rates concession. Will that be reinstated?

The COLC cash payment has been the replacement since 2015 and there is no current indication of a return to direct rates concessions. The COLC application is the mechanism to use.

I have a standard Gold Card with no TPI/EDA embossing and no PCC. What can I access in SA?

Concession metroCARD for transport, and DVA’s federal optical and ambulance entitlements. For COLC, energy, water, and sewerage concessions, you need TPI/EDA/War Widow/≥80 MRCA IP embossing or a PCC. Contact DVA about your PCC eligibility.

I moved to SA recently. Do I need to re-register?

Yes. Contact ConcessionsSA and each SA provider separately. Also notify DVA to update your Veteran File Number with the SA state prefix.