Westfield West Lakes owner Scentre Group want to rezone shopping centre site for high-density housing

A VAST parcel of land around a major shopping centre would be unlocked for high-density housing in a push to rezone the suburban site.

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A VAST parcel of land around a major shopping centre would be unlocked for high-density housing in a push to rezone the suburban site.

The owner of the Westfield West Lakes Shopping Centre wants to fund a review of planning controls banning potentially hundreds of homes from being built on the 20ha site bordered by West Lakes Boulevard, Turner Drive and Brebner Drive.

But they have met resistance from some Charles Sturt councillors who are wary of more housing being developed in the suburb which is already the centre of a $1 billion 10-year housing overhaul.

Masterplan SA director Greg Vincent, acting on behalf of shopping centre owner Scentre Group, said his clients wanted the flexibility to incorporate residential development on the property in keeping with the housing redevelopment of the former Football Park site across the road.

Mr Vincent, writing a submission to the council, said the proposal was consistent with the 30-year Plan for Greater Adelaide and the role of centres in providing a mix of land uses, including housing.

“The proposal has the potential to generate significant social, environmental and economic benefits for the local and broader area, subject to an appropriate policy framework and appropriate planning and design,” he wrote.

“This is particularly in regard to the benefits associated with the increased activation of the site with mixed use including residential and the efficient use of the existing services and public transport.

“The current residential development restrictions within the Retail Core Precint are … outdated and they can limit the reasonable development expectations for the subject land.”

Scentre needs approval from the council to begin a privately-funded development plan amendment process to allow for the potential rezoning of the site for housing.

But it met a roadblock on Monday night when the council’s city services committee voted 3-2 against giving in principle support for a planning review.

Councillor Kelly Thomas, who voted against any rezoning, said the council was yet to see the impact of the $1 billion, 1300-home WEST redevelopment of the Football Park site.

“The impact to the residents is going to be an unknown until that redevelopment starts to come through,” she said.

“So far only a few hundred houses have been built but AAMI Stadium is going to be knocked down at the next stage of the WEST development will start.”

Ms Thomas expected that the council will again debate Scentre’s proposal at this Monday night’s meeting.