Sensational-Adelaide.com

South Australian Government unveils vision for Adelaide

ADELAIDE will become a city of green transport corridors and mixed housing-business developments under a new 30-year development plan.

The existing city will be the focal point for an expected 560,000 people in 258,000 new homes, according to the State Government plan, and will give rise to another 282,000 jobs.

Urban Planning Minister Paul Holloway said about 70 per cent of the new housing will be within the current city limits - a ploy designed to reduce the sprawl, but also to cater for an ageing population that is within walking distance of public transport.

"These (suburbs) will be walkable, connected and safe precincts that allow people to work, shop and access services near their homes, and which are located near parklands, waterways and vibrant cultural centres," he said.

Transport corridors will receive a special planning designation to cut across council boundaries and politics, and a new planning scheme would allow for more flexible developments in these areas, he said.

Expansion outside Adelaide will target a doubling of Roseworthy, and a steady expansion of Murray Bridge, Mount Barker and Goolwa.

The plan has also included a Hills railway to connect Murray Bridge to Mullala in the Barossa Valley.

While the plan will be open for consultation and submissions until the end of September, Mr Holloway said there was a need to put forward a plan that would guide the city's development over the long term.

"What we need to do is rebalance our growth," he said.

He said Virginia, McLaren Vale and the Barossa Valley had been protected to save agricultural and wine regions from intrusion.

Local Government Association president Felicity-Ann Lewis said the plan was needed, but the state government needed to ensure it took an inclusive approach.

"At the local government level, we must be assured that the three spheres of government work together to ensure that the development and ongoing maintenance of current and new infrastructure is well researched and appropriately funded," she said.

"Where there are plans for housing developments there must also be plans for schools, parks and open spaces, community sporting facilities and other vital infrastructure required to create and support new communities."

The head of South Australia's Urban Development Institute, Ian Marker, said the group had already identified a need for more land to be released to house the state's growing population.

"We urge the Government to implement the 30-year Plan promptly and monitor the supply of appropriately-zoned land and the pipeline for controlled development of the greater Adelaide area," he said.

"Maintaining an adequate supply of developed allotments during the next few years - at both greenfield and inner-city sites - will be critical to avoid price escalation and decreasing affordability."

Property Council executive director Nathan Paine said the plan was likely to draw criticisms, but the city needed a longer-term overview to avoid the mistakes of ad-hoc growth.

"This plan builds on all the good work to date by promoting further growth through urban in-fill aligned with a massive investment in public transport," he said.

"There is no doubt that there will be critics in the community of this plan. It is time for these naysayers - opponents to economic growth, jobs and affordable housing for South Australia's youth - to take a back seat and allow the state to grow along its natural path.

"We need sustained and sustainable population growth to ensure we can cater for the needs of our aging population. Without it, our state faces terminal decline and the denial of our potential."

Cam wrote:A lot to digest ,, but Water to me is the big issue going forward so I would have like to seen a couple more Reservoirs built to serve the Eastern side of the Ranges.