State Government earmarks Hackham land for rezoning and housing

A vacant parcel of land in Adelaide’s south has been earmarked for development, set to include thousands of homes and “larger allotment sizes”.

About 235ha of land in Adelaide’s south could be rezoned for thousands of houses and a new shopping precinct.

The Attorney-General’s Department and Onkaparinga Council are examining the future of the land at Hack­ham and a portion of Old Noarlunga.

A large parcel of land in Hackham has been earmarked for residential development under a State Government housing plan. Pic: Council

Acting Mayor Simon McMahon said the council wanted to ensure the housing was appropriate for generations to come.

“We want to see larger allotment sizes,” he said.

“This is particularly important given the area’s sloping land, which also means the traffic movements to and from the area need to be carefully considered.

“We don’t want pedestrians and users of council’s local road network to be adversely impacted.”

The land has been earmarked for residential development in the state’s 30-Year Plan for Greater Adelaide and the Onkaparinga Local Area Plan identifies rezoning at Hackham as a priority over other growth areas further south.

Acting Mayor Simon McMahon said the council will continue to work with the department to ensure the housing will be appropriate for generations to come. (AAP/ Keryn Stevens)

Similarly, 90ha in Aldinga were also earmarked by the state government in 2021, with the local residents group concerned the impact the development would have on the region.

“From our point of view, we are concerned about the size and density of residential developments including three storeys, which simply doesn’t fit in with the character of our area and will result in increased traffic,” Aldinga Bay Residents Association president Joshua Reiter said at the time.

Similar feedback had been received for the Hackham space but Mr McMahon said this had been taken on board.

“Council has made a detailed submission to the state government about the proposal to ensure the best possible sustainable development outcomes for the area,” he said.

“Community engagement was managed by the state government rather than council, but we’ve been proactive in letting residents know how to have their say.

“Outside of the formal engagement, thousands of residents also engaged with us on social media about the proposal, with roads and infrastructure impacts and open space retention among the key concerns identified by the community.”

Community consultation closed on July 26 and will return to council at a later date.