New campaign to block rampant urban infill

Hot, noisy and congested suburbs will be created under new planning laws, one of SA’s biggest councils says.

A major Adelaide council at the coalface of the city’s urban regeneration will ramp up opposition to planning reforms it claims will make parts of its district noisier, hotter and more congested.

Marion Council has launched a public campaign against the state’s proposed planning and design code. The “Protect our Streets” campaign includes newspaper ads and leafleting 43,000 ratepayers.

The code, which is out for a second round of public consultation, is aimed at streamlining development applications and seeks to standardise many planning policies across much of Adelaide. But Marion Mayor Kris Hanna said the code would override agreed limits to urban infill.

“The council has worked hard to limit urban infill in the north of our city,” Mr Hanna said. “Our submission to the government on the code in February included maintaining previously approved minimum block sizes and frontages in the north of our city. The draft code rejects that proposal.

“Development will be worse than it was before we secured the changes.”

The council’s campaign claims that block frontages and minimum block sizes will be reduced and that it will lead to lower quality housing. It also argues that houses would be able to occupy 60 per cent of a block, compared to 40 per cent currently, meaning less space for trees.

State Government subdivision figures show that from 2012 to 2018, Marion had Adelaide’s highest rise in so-called minor infill developments, with 2008 properties built on existing blocks.

The council is worried that the code changes will have particular impact of areas north of Seacombe Road.

It wants the policies reversed and for parts of Marion Rd to be rezoned to allow for commercial development

“The council is not anti-development. There are some parts of our city we are advocating for more dense development,” Mr Hanna said.

“We now want to work with (the government) again to change the code and protect our streets.” The State Planning Commission has released an update to its draft plan following criticism that the initial version of the planning blueprint would increase housing density in many suburbs.

The commission says there have been a “number of changes” to “better reflect local conditions”, including increasing the number of planning zones.

The consultation runs until December 18. The code is expected to be ratified in the first half of next year.