State Government delays allowing apartments along main suburban roads in favour of specific sites

PLANS to rezone broad swathes of land along major inner-city roads for apartments have been put on the backburner.

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• Major developments underway or planned for Adelaide in 2017

PLANS to rezone broad swathes of land along major inner-city roads for apartments have been put on the backburner.

Instead, the State Government will focus on specific sites with the potential for major development.

Planning Minister John Rau announced in 2015 he was considering allowing apartments up to 10 storeys high along main roads such as Richmond Rd, Anzac Highway, Sir Donald Bradman Drive and Goodwood Rd, as well as parts of Forestville and Glenelg.

Only Glenelg’s rezoning has proceeded.

Mr Rau told the CoastCity Weekly the plan had not been “scrapped” but put off for at least two years until he saw there was demand for such large areas to be rezoned and for new planning laws passed last year to be “settled”.

“At the moment, for a variety of reasons, I don’t think there is any need for us to accelerate that process and I think there are more urgent things that need to be done,” Mr Rau said.

The Le Cornu furniture warehouse in Forestville closed in October. Picture: Keryn Stevens

Sites still under consideration for rezoning in the southwestern suburbs include the former Marleston TAFE on Richmond Rd; the former Le Cornu furniture warehouse on Anzac Highway; and a large block at 6-10 Railway Tce, Mile End.

Mr Rau said sites like those were “big enough to be of substantial development potential” because taller buildings could be built on them far enough away from existing homes to avoid objections from neighbours.

He says developers will be forced to upgrade their suburban apartment designs, so they better fit in with surrounding low-density housing.

An apartment development on Churchill Rd, Prospect. Picture: Bianca De Marchi

People living alongside proposed development sites have been especially concerned about the potential for apartments to overlook their backyards.

“Just because a building is three storeys doesn’t mean it will be horrible and do terrible things to the neighbours,” Mr Rau said.

“Design and proper attention to interaction with neighbours can make a hell of a difference – and I want to see more attention given to that.”

Multi-storey apartments were allowed in 2013 along roads such as Port Rd, Greenhill Rd, Unley Rd, The Parade, Prospect Rd and Churchill Rd.

A 12-storey apartment building approved for 8 South Esplanade, Glenelg, in December. Source: Supplied

Property Council SA executive director Daniel Gannon said it was disappointing more land would not be opened up for apartment development as soon as had been expected.

He said the property sector was “absolutely supportive of improving design rules” to ensure suburban apartments were acceptable for buyers and neighbours.

Tom Matthews, the president of Community Alliance SA, an umbrella body for a range of residents’ associations, said members would welcome better design rules for suburban apartments.

“If neighbours are consulted and everyone talked to appropriately and concerns are addressed, this makes things much more doable if we can cut a reasonable deal,” Mr Matthews said.

He agreed developing sites such as the Le Cornu warehouse on Anzac Highway was preferable to building apartments along main roads.