Anger over plan to turn part of Seaford Meadows into new housing estate known as ‘Sunset Port Noarlunga South’

Plans to chop off part of Seaford Meadows and give it a divisive new marketing name have sparked a strong backlash from local residents.

Southern Adelaide residents are angry with a proposed state government boundary change to create a 644-house estate to be unofficially known as Sunset Port Noarlunga South.

The plan is to hive off an undeveloped chunk of Seaford Meadows and add it to the adjacent suburb of Port Noarlunga South.

That area would then be referred to in marketing materials as Sunset Port Noarlunga South.

The state government must consult residents for a month before name changes or boundary amendments are made, but residents have already complained developers are marketing the new name before their objections are considered.

One resident who commented on the YourSay state government consultation website, Nicola Benson, asked: “Is this a real consultation or are you just trying to make us feel like we have a voice?”

Part of the area of Seaford Meadows that would be known as Sunset Port Noarlunga South under a developer’s proposal. Picture: Tricia Watkinson

The boundary between Port Noarlunga South and Seaford Meadows currently cuts through vacant land as well as part of the Onkaparinga River Recreation Park.

The park will not be developed and existing residents’ properties would not be affected by the proposed boundary change.

The whole area is to be turned into a 644-house estate, all called Sunset Port Noarlunga South, which developer Hickinbotham says will create 1200 jobs and inject more than $170 million into the South Australian economy.

Only one comment of 72 from residents on YourSay is currently in support of the name change, with Port Noarlunga South residents claiming the estate would devalue their properties and Seaford Meadows residents not wanting to lose an area of their suburb.

Resident’s group Onkaparinga Council Watch spokeswoman Yvonne Wenham said there was also a lack of public confidence in the government’s consultation process because the name Sunset Port Noarlunga South was already being used in marketing.

“Advertising a suburb name change five days into a month’s consultation to change it, is never going to generate public confidence that this is an authentic process in which public interest is the priority,’’ she said.

Although the criticism by residents is of the government consultation, developers have explained the confusion, with “Sunset Port Noarlunga South” only being used to describe the existing Port Noarlunga South portion of the development not the Seaford Meadows half.

A map of the new area (in red) to be known as Sunset Port Noarlunga South, which residents want to remain in Seaford Meadows. Photograph: State Government

The written response to all the residents from the Attorney-General’s Department has so far been only: “Thanks for your comment and for contributing to this discussion.”

But in an explanation for the need for the change, the consultation web page states: “The proposal seeks to create a more uniform boundary, and avoid potential confusion for the community and emergency services when trying to locate properties within the planned development.”

On the YourSay site only one resident has spoken up in support of the change. Calling themselves OpenMinded, they wrote: “I agree with the proposed change as Seaford Meadows is already a very large suburb”, but also “I am confident that the decision has already been made!”