A discussion paper was put out by the State Planning Commission to canvas options on where land could be provided to accommodate an estimated 300,000 new dwellings in Greater Adelaide over the next 30 years.
The estimate for new housing needed is based on a population growth projection of 670,000 by 2051.
The paper suggests that new dwellings should be built in existing suburbs with some residential development on greenfield sites on the urban fringes and some in satellite cities (such as Victor Harbor and Murray Bridge).
It envisages that 70 per cent of the new housing needed should be built in existing suburbs. Three types of infill housing are being investigated by the Commission.
• Strategic Infill,
• Corridor Growth and
• Neighbourhood/Centre Infill.
Areas denoted for possible Strategic Infill sites include the Stepney triangle, that is the area bounded by Payneham Rd, Magill Rd & Nelson Street which is currently a light industrial area.
Land to be investigated for possible Neighbourhood/Centre Infill includes the former Highways Department carpark off Holton Court St Peters.
The Richmond Street College Park caravan park site is also to be looked at as a possible site for Neighbourhood/Centre Infill. The caravan park site was previously zoned for multi-storey residential development by former Planning Minister John Rau.
Corridor Growth Infill on arterial roads is to be investigated and includes all of Payneham Road, Magill Road and Kensington Road.
In SPRA’s submission to the Commission we pointed out that these roads adjoin many high quality historic and character single-storey (predominantly) residential areas. With properties fronting these main roads being largely single allotments, there will not be enough space in many cases for multi-storey apartment buildings to be built without very adverse impacts on adjacent residents.
In our submission we also pointed out that there are places in our council area which allow multi-storey housing which have not been developed (such as the southern side of North Terrace Kent Town) and requested that there be no new rezoning for multi-storey apartments until the existing areas available have been used.
We also opposed rezoning the land off Holton Court for multi-storey infill housing as it is close to the River Torrens and should be included in the Linear Park.