Future of Hans Ehmann’s $40 million retirement tower plan for Port Adelaide in limbo

THE future of a $40 million apartment complex overlooking the Port River is uncertain after the State Government scrapped its fast-track assessment process for major aged-care developments without telling the owner.

Dock 27, Queen’s Wharf development perspective.

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THE future of a $40 million apartment complex overlooking the Port River has been left in limbo after the State Government scrapped its fast-track assessment process for major aged-care developments.

Port Adelaide developer Hans Ehmann lodged plans for his seven-storey aged-care apartment block on the Fishermen’s Wharf site under the new scheme, which allowed major aged-care developments valued at more than $20 million to bypass the local planning system and instead by approved directly by Planning Minister John Rau.

However, in the wake of the collapse of Life Care’s $250 million proposed aged-care developments at Joslin, Norwood and Glen Osmond after sustained community opposition, the scheme has been revoked.

A spokeswoman for Mr Rau said Mr Ehmann’s development, known as Dock 27, was the only undecided application remaining when the scheme was scrapped last week.

It leaves Dock 27 in limbo.

“The Minister for Planning has sought advice from the Crown Solicitor’s Office on the effect of revoking the Major Development Declaration and how best to deal with the application,” the spokeswoman said.

Mr Ehmann said no one from the State Government had contacted him about his application for 72 apartments, retail space and community open spaces to sit next to his $25 million Quest hotel development.

Hans Ehmann outside the Quest hotel he built at Port Adelaide. Picture: Bianca De Marchi

He said his application had been lodged with the state’s main planning authority, the State Commission Assessment Panel, in the first instance and he was unsure how or if his application would be affected by the changes.

Mr Rau told State Parliament in a speech last week that it had “become clear that broader community engagement in delivering aged care is necessary”.

He said the fast-track process had been created in April due to “inconsistent”, “dated” and “rigid” planning rules that did not recognise modern aged-care and retirement living options.