Mitcham Council’s ‘outdated’ planning rules costing 1000 potential homes, Master Builders says

The state’s leading construction body says one council’s “outdated” rules could be limiting development – and is calling on the state government to step in.

More than 1000 homes could be built in five years if an Adelaide council revamped its “outdated” development laws, the Master Builders Association says, with the issue soon to be under the state government’s microscope.

The Master Builders Association SA (MBA) says Mitcham Council’s current zoning restrictions mean a large number 700 sq m to 1000 sq m blocks are unable to be subdivided, limiting the suburbs’ development potential.

Chief executive Will Frogley said areas like St Marys, Pasadena, Daw Park, Clapham and Panorama had significant capacity for “sensitive” subdivision opportunities but were going untapped.

“You’ve got two and three-bedroom housing built in the 1960s on reactive soil on poor foundations on 990 sq m blocks, some of which are in really poor shape,” Mr Frogley said.

“They’re 8km from the CBD and they’re close to train lines, hospitals and the Tonsley Innovation Precinct but you can’t replace them with two detached homes on 495 sq m with generous frontages.

“I’ll get attacked for highlighting this issue by a handful of NIMBYs who will say that I’m trying to ruin the area but the situation is madness and no one is benefiting.”

Master Builders SA CEO Will Frogley says there is potential for 1000 new homes in the Mitcham Council area. Picture: Supplied

Mr Frogley said Mitcham was the only Adelaide council that had not undertaken a significant whole of LGA planning review this century, with only a handful of areas being rezoned for more diverse housing.

He called on the state government to conduct a Ministerial Code Amendment of the City of Mitcham’s neighbourhood zones, saying an additional 1000-2000 homes could be built in the council area with “sensitive reforms”.

He said the allotment limit should be changed to 350 sq m, with frontages of no less than 8.5m.

Mitcham Council General Manager of Development Craig Harrison said the city’s development plan was last updated in 2020, with a major reduction in minimum allotment sizes in “a number of growth areas” to as low as 250 sq m.

Mr Harrison said the Growth Areas Development Plan had been supported by the government and the council continued to be actively engaged with key stakeholders on further opportunities for growth, including those associated with the Torrens to Darlington Project.

He said the council’s ‘Spatial Vision’ plan, which identifies areas for growth while protecting the area’s “highly-valued heritage and character areas”, had been commended by the Planning Institute of Australia.

“The City of Mitcham continues to work closely with the state government on all planning reform, engages in consultations and provides submissions, including on the recently released Greater Adelaide regional plan discussion paper,” Mr Harrison said.

“Our submission on the Greater Adelaide regional plan emphasised the importance of our spatial vision work to the state plan and commission.”

Minister for Housing & Urban Development Nick Champion (pictured with Premier Peter Malinauskas at the former West End site) says the government is working closely with councils to maximise housing opportunities. Picture: Matt Loxton

Planning Minister Nick Champion said he applauded the MBA for beginning the conversation around local government’s role in fixing the housing crisis and said he was happy to discuss the issue with the organisation and the state’s councils.

However, Mr Champion said it was important to “strike a balance” between increasing housing supply and preserving the character of an area.

“Building a greater number of new sustainable homes for future South Australians is a priority of this Government but not at any cost,” he said.

“Since taking office we have initiated the rezoning of almost 2000 hectares of land to create additional housing opportunities at all levels of the market and have also scrapped stamp duty for eligible first home buyers.”

The Advertiser understands the state government is set to undertake a number of planning meetings and workshops with all SA councils over how best to tackle the housing crisis.