250,000 new infill dwellings are needed in Adelaide by 2045, Infrastructure Australia warns

Adelaide will have to squeeze the equivalent of a city bigger than Darwin within its current footprint by 2045, Infrastructure Australia says.

Adelaide will have to squeeze the equivalent of a city bigger than Darwin within its current footprint by 2045, Infrastructure Australia says.

It says State Government policy means Adelaide must plan for almost 250,000 new infill dwellings in that time.

Despite lower population growth than other capitals, an Infrastructure Australia report says Adelaide will face similar growing pains, such as congestion, because of the state’s goal for 85 per cent of new builds to be infill projects.

Looking over The Esplanade at the Darwin city skyline. Can we fit a city’s worth of this amount of people into Adelaide?

“Adelaide is trying to accommodate a city larger than Darwin within its established footprint over the next 30 years,” IA’s policy and research executive director Peter Colacino said.

Mr Colacino said the O-Bahn tunnel and planned electrification of the rest of the Gawler rail line would improve the city’s capacity to cope with a bigger population. He said Adelaide would need new schools and hospitals in areas with high levels of infill.

Adelaide at night. Despite lower population growth than other capitals, an Infrastructure Australia report says the city will face similar growing pains, such as congestion, because of the state’s goal for 85 per cent of new builds to be infill projects. Picture: Tourism Australia

The report comes as Prime Minister Scott Morrison puts pressure on Premier Steven Marshall to outline a population plan for the state ahead of a Council of Australian Governments meeting in Adelaide on Tuesday.

In a letter to Mr Marshall, Mr Morrison says he wants state and local governments to provide information about the population capacity of SA, based on current and planned infrastructure and services.

He also asks about the types of skilled workers businesses will need over the next 15 years, and for assessment of the impact the Commonwealth’s migration program on growth. At COAG, Mr Morrison will tell state leaders the first step to a national population plan is understanding local growth drivers.