Tarac to start housing development on former Hardy’s winery site

A historic winery in Adelaide’s south will soon be transformed into a new residential neighbourhood with close to 250 homes.

Tarac chief executive Jeremy Blanks at the housing project site in Old Reynella. Picture: Emma Brasier

The first allotments in a $100m-plus housing development on part of the former Hardy’s winery site in Old Reynella have been released to the market, with construction to begin in the second half of this year.

The project, known as Hurtle Grove, will comprise around 245 allotments across 15ha, including 216 Torrens title homes and townhouses.

It was approved by Onkaparinga Council in February following consultation between the site’s owner, Tarac Properties, the council and community over more than four years.

Tarac chief executive Jeremy Blanks said the residential component of a broader mixed-use redevelopment of the former Hardy’s site would be delivered over the next three to four years.

“This is the largest land release in this portion of the south for quite a long time,” he said.

“A lot of the land, in fact almost all of the land of any size that’s been released in the south in the last three to five years, has been quite a bit further south - Seaford, Aldinga and through that area.

“We’ve put quite a strong emphasis on urban design and open space, and one of the points of difference for this project is we have allocated about 18 per cent of the residential designated area as green space - walking trails and open space - which is quite high relative to most projects.”

The housing project takes up the western portion of the 32ha former Hardy’s site, on the corner of Panalatinga and Reynell roads.

Around half of the vines at the northern end of the site have been removed, with the remaining vines to be removed for future stages, while a small vineyard in the site’s “historic zone” will be retained.

The portion of the former Hardy's winery site in Old Reynella, where Tarac Properties is planning a $100m-plus housing development with 245 homes.

A limited first stage of close to 40 allotments has been released to the market, while 14 building companies have committed to building 23 display homes at the site by next year.

Blocks will range in size from around 300sq m to 520sq m.

Tarac, a supplier of grape alcohol products to the wine, brandy and spirits industries, purchased the property from Accolade Wines in 2016, four years after the wine business shut down its bottling operations at the site.

The developer has since refurbished and reconfigured several buildings, with a Bunnings warehouse opening in 2019, followed by other business tenants including Voltex and Minda Commercial Enterprises.

Accolade continues to house its corporate headquarters on the historic site, which was first established as a vineyard by pioneer settler John Reynell in 1838, supplying fruit for some the state’s first commercial wine production in 1842.

Mr Blanks said the next stages of commercial development on the eastern side of the site would include a childcare centre and healthcare hub.

“It fits with the fact that we’ve got a significant employment base of between 400 and 450, but also with the residential development we’re about to get underway,” he said.

“We’re also looking at not only the European settlement and heritage, but also what we can find out about Aboriginal heritage and linkages to the site. Once we’ve got that information we’ll see where we can weave it into the project, and most likely into some of those open spaces.”

In 2007 Tarac purchased the former Penfolds site in the Barossa Valley and converted it into the Beckwith Park industry and business centre.