Urban boundary realignment
25/7/2007

Premier Mike Rann announced today that the Government has decided to realign Adelaide’s urban boundary to include an extra 2,000 hectares to help meet urban development needs as the city continues to grow over the next 15 to 20 years.

 

The Premier says the majority of the land to be brought into the boundary will be in Adelaide’s north, which will be the main focus of Adelaide’s future growth.

 

There is also additional land being brought inside the boundary in the south, and a small parcel at Highbury in the east.

 

“Reports this week found that Adelaide had the most affordable housing of any mainland capital, and was likely to remain more affordable,” Mr Rann said.

 

“The continued release of land within the urban growth boundary will help maintain downward pressure on the price of land, and therefore housing affordability.

 

“However land release is not the only factor - it complements other state government initiatives including the requirement for a 15 percent component of affordable housing in all significant developments.

 

“The South Australian Affordable Housing Trust, through its partnerships with developers and the community sector are continuing to drive the affordable housing supply, while State Government lender HomeStart Finance is helping people into the housing market through its range of home ownership products.

 

Mr Rann says that while not all the new land being brought into the boundary will be used for residential development, the move will add a six-to-seven year supply of residential land, based on current development rates.

 

“When added to the existing stock of 3,000 hectares of vacant residential land already situated within the urban boundary and other future development sites like the Yatala prison site, this initiative will provide a 15-to-20 year vacant residential land supply within the urban boundary,” Mr Rann says.

 

The land to be brought within the boundary is


North - approx 1235 hectares total: Playford North (173ha), Blakeview (112ha), Penfield (130ha), Gawler East (320ha) and Concordia (500ha)
South - approx 686 heactares total: Hackham (289ha) and Bowering Hill, north of Aldinga (397ha)
East - a small parcel of approx 76 heactares at Highbury.

[By way of comparison, Mawson Lakes – excluding the wetlands and University Campus – is about a 400 hectare development.]


Urban Development Minister Paul Holloway says although the Adelaide market is well-supplied with residential land, the Government has moved to add extra certainty to supply and provide direction for future growth over the next 15 to 20 years.

 

“Metropolitan Adelaide currently has a 10-to-12 year supply of vacant residential land – even more if you include near-city towns like Mount Barker – and the majority of this is owned not by the State Government but privately,” Mr Holloway says.

 

“The Government is moving early to bring more land into the boundary to provide certainty about where Adelaide will grow into the future. About two-thirds of the new land is in Adelaide’s north. This area will be the major focus of Adelaide’s new suburban growth over the next 20 years.

 

“It does not include any environmentally sensitive land  or land used for high value agriculture, such as the watershed, the Hills Face or the vineyards of the Barossa or Southern Vales. Indeed the proposal provides for the rehabilitation and reuse of degraded Quarry sites at both Highbury and Gawler East.

 

“Depending on dwelling yields, this new land could provide about an extra 20,000 housing allotments. In addition to residential housing, the new land will incorporate other urban uses such as shops, open space and community facilities, while some small part may also be used for industrial development.”

 

Mr Holloway says it is important to understand that not all the land being brought into the boundary will come on stream for housing straight away.

 

“Prior to any land being developed, we will require that structure plans be put in place, to ensure appropriate infrastructure plans are in place to support future communities.

 

“Any rezoning will occur through a separate Ministerial Development Plan Amendment process, which will also involve the issuing of draft documents and mandatory public consultation.”

 

A draft of the proposed new urban boundary will be officially released for a four-week exhibition period from next Monday, 30 July 2007, during which time public submissions will be received and considered. After the four-week exhibition period the Government will make a final decision on adopting the new urban boundary.

 

In recent years in metropolitan Adelaide around 50 percent of new housing has been ‘greenfields’ development at the urban fringe, and the remaining 50 percent development in existing urban areas.

 

Premier Mike Rann says it is not a question of choosing either outward ‘sprawl’ or urban infill – Adelaide must do both, in a balanced way, to provide housing choice and diversity to meet demand and support the strong economic climate being generated in South Australia.

 

“The fact is that to accommodate a future population of two million people in South Australia under the targets set in the State’s Strategic Plan, and the ageing of our existing population we will need to both grow outwards and also regenerate some of our existing urban areas, that is also respectful of the character of our suburbs” Mr Rann said.

 

“What we are announcing today, allows us to do that in a balanced, sustainable and responsible way,” Mr Rann said.

 

For more information visit: www.planning.sa.gov.au/go/urbanboundary