About Stephan Knoll
Born 1982. Stephan Knoll is an Australian politician and businessperson.
Background and early career Knoll attended Christian Brothers College, Adelaide, and the University of Adelaide, completing a Bachelor of Commerce (Marketing).
Prior to entering State Parliament he was general manager of his family's small business Barossa Fine Foods.
He also served as State President of the South Australian Young Liberal Movement.
Parliamentary career After his election in 2014, Knoll was appointed to the Parliamentary Committee on Occupational Safety, Rehabilitation and Compensation.
In January 2016, Knoll released a booklet entitled "40 Reasons Why You Can't Trust Labor with Your Money". Also in January, Knoll was promoted to Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Waste, Deregulation, and IT use in government. In February 2016, Knoll was appointed to the Parliament's Economic and Finance Committee.
In January 2017, fourteen months before the 2018 state election, Knoll was promoted to the shadow cabinet, taking on the portfolios of Police, Emergency Services, Corrections and Road Safety.
Following the March 2018 election, he was appointed Minister for Transport, Infrastructure and Local Government and Minister for Planning. On 5 February 2020, Knoll was appointed as Leader of Government Business in the House. This was the single biggest injection of new funding in a state budget for regional roads in South Australia's history. Knoll also advocated and secured the construction of twin tunnels to complete the North-South Corridor as part of the 2020 State Budget.
During his tenure as Planning Minister, Knoll navigated the rolling implementation of broader system changes including the introduction of a statewide electronic planning system - the first of its kind in Australia. Phase 1 of the Planning and Design Code was rolled out in Outback SA on 1 July 2019, with Phase 2 (Rural) introduced on 31 July 2020 and Phase 3 (Urban) on 19 March 2021.
In June 2020, Knoll introduced the Local Government Reform Bill in Parliament. Key elements in the Bill were rate capping, the establishment of behavioural standards for councillors and reductions of red tape to improve efficiency and lessen the burden on councils. The Bill was passed in June 2021, with the omission of rate capping.
In July 2020, as part of a broader investigation into a number of country MPs, Knoll was investigated by the Independent Commissioner Against Corruption (ICAC) into the possible misuse of the Country Members Accommodation Allowance. Knoll resigned from cabinet on 26 July 2020. Mr Knoll was found guilty of misconduct after attempting to sack members of the Adelaide Cemeteries board without authority.
The Urban Renewal Authority, trading as Renewal SA, was within his portfolio responsibilities until 28 July 2020, when it was moved to that of the Treasurer, Rob Lucas.
On 1 December 2020, Knoll announced he did not intend to contest the 2022 election. He retired from politics after the 2022 election. He now runs Sympatheia Strategic Advisory, a business advisory company.
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Important facts
People in Stephan Knoll's life
Named in this biography and alive at the same time
Contemporaries
People whose lives overlapped Stephan Knoll's
Frequently asked questions
Who is Stephan Knoll?
Australian politician
When was Stephan Knoll born?
Stephan Knoll was born in 1982.
What is Stephan Knoll's occupation?
Stephan Knoll is a politician and businessperson.
What nationality is Stephan Knoll?
Stephan Knoll is Australian.
Sources & further reading
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Stephan Knoll. https://biography.guide/stephan-knoll/
MLA: "Stephan Knoll." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/stephan-knoll/.
Chicago: "Stephan Knoll." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/stephan-knoll/.
Data last updated: 2026-09-21 · Spot an error? Report a correction.
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