NIMBY politicians standing in the way of development undermining assurances the state government is ‘pulling every lever’ to address housing crisis

NIMBY politicians standing in the way of development are undermining repeated assurances from the state government that it is “pulling every lever” to address the housing crisis, an industry body says.

NIMBY politicians standing in the way of development are undermining repeated assurances from the state government that it is “pulling every lever” to address the housing crisis, an industry body says.

The state’s Property Council has called out inconsistencies between the government’s messaging and the opposition of some MPs to development applications in their local areas.

Badcoe MP Jayne Stinson last week posted a letter to the State Planning Commission opposing a code change that would allow a five-storey residential building around Leader St, Forestville.

“The majority of residents feel a height limit exceeding 2-3 storeys is unwarranted,” she said.

“Locals are concerned a disproportionate height increase in comparison to the prevailing single-storey surrounds will adversely alter the character of the area and set a precedent for higher future development.”

Badcoe MP Jayne Stinson. Picture: Naomi Jellicoe

Adelaide MP Lucy Hood. Picture: Roy VanDerVegt

Adelaide MP Lucy Hood has been similarly critical of plans for a 10-storey, 191-home development around the site of the Buckingham Arms Hotel at Gilberton.

“The Buckingham Arms is completely and utterly dwarfed by the excessive scale of this proposed development,” she told ABC Radio Adelaide last year.

She said the current height limit of six storeys was sufficient, and the higher proposal “doesn't really pass the pub test”.

On the Liberal side, frontbenchers Vincent Tarzia and John Gardner have both urged that the site of UniSA’s Magill campus, to be acquired by the government, should not be used for high-density housing.

“Our community certainly does not want to see high-density housing built on the site,” Mr Tarzia wrote in a community newsletter.

South Australian director of the Property Council Bruce Djite said both major parties needed to depoliticise development – “because development is the way out of this crisis”.

South Australian director of the Property Council Bruce Djite. Picture: Tom Huntley

“The government’s messaging that it is ‘pulling every lever at its disposal to address the housing crisis’ is being undermined,” he said.

“Members of parliament, irrespective of their party, need to show leadership and bring their communities with them if we are to legitimately address the housing crisis.”

Planning Minister Nick Champion said it was “unquestionable” that the government was “pulling every lever at its disposal to address the housing crisis”.

That has included increasing supply of housing across all regions, releasing record amounts of land and scrapping stamp duty for eligible first home buyers.

He said the feedback provided in community consultation by both the public and local MPs was “vitally important in any development or code amendment proposal”.

“Importantly, major developments go to SCAP (State Commission Assessment Panel) which remains an independent body,” he said.

“I expect local MPs to raise concerns from their community but as a government we are actively addressing the housing crisis which includes sometimes making tough decisions.”

Originally published as NIMBY politicians standing in the way of development undermining assurances the state government is ‘pulling every lever’ to address housing crisis