Liberal housing spokeperson Michelle Lensink fears Onkaparinga Heights only housing release to get SA Water pipelines

The state opposition claims there will be housing hold-ups with no money in the kitty for vital pipelines at three of Labor’s four major housing land sites.

Fears housing slabs won’t be poured until after 2028 at three of Labor’s four major housing land sites Picture: Renewal SA,

Fears housing slabs won’t be poured until after 2028 at three of Labor’s four major housing land sites are being triggered by government officials confirming they have no water and waste infrastructure funding.

The Budget and Finance Committee was also told on Tuesday that key private developments including Riverlea were trucking away waste while homeowners waited for pipelines to be built.

Housing and Urban Development Department chief executive David Reynolds told the committee that $1.5 billion budgeted by the state government for vital infrastructure to housing developments only covered pipelines for the Onkaparinga Heights development.

David Reynolds said the trunk mains construction would not be considered until 2028 for three other new land release sites. Picture: State Government

He said trunk mains construction would not be considered until 2028 for three other new land release sites listed in the Housing Roadmap in Sellicks Beach, Dry Creek and Concordia.

“Onkaparinga Heights certainly has funding … to be able to deliver infrastructure, water and wastewater,” Mr Reynolds said.

“The others are in the planning processes, so they as yet don’t have a plan on when we will deliver.”

Shadow Housing Minister Michelle Lensink said the land releases were a key promise to help fix the housing crisis and “now we’ve learnt that these grand plans are virtually dead in the water”.

“(Now) it appears that only one of the sites will be remotely ready for slabs to be poured by 2026.

“You can’t build houses without pipework, especially when the money to start laying

the pipes might not even be there until 2028.”

Housing Minister Nick Champion said the projects would be delivered and they “were on track”. Picture: Russell Millard Photography

However, Mr Reynolds told the committee that the number of houses under construction in SA was at record levels at nearly 14,000.

Ms Lensink also criticised news that key private developments were trucking human waste from homes while their owners waited for infrastructure to keep up with progress.

“When you purchase a brand-new home, one of the things you rightfully expect is sewerage systems that are up to scratch and operational,” she said.

SA Water Growth general manager Amanda Lewry said it was “important to understand that tankering of wastewater networks is very typical as you’re building new infrastructure” as you needed “sufficient capacity of homes to actually enable what they call flushing flow”.

Currently, SA Water was funding and tankering in Roseworthy, Angle Vale, Munno Para and Virginia – and this included Riverlea until last month.

Housing and Urban Development Minister Nick Chamption said the Housing Roadmap spelled out when all projects - including Onkaparinga Heights, Concordia, Dry Creek and Sellicks Beach - would be delivered and they “were on track”.

“The Housing Roadmap also makes it clear that it is not possible to address the previous Liberal Government’s under-investment in water infrastructure over the next four years, and that developments will need to be phased over subsequent years,” he said.

“Our government is pulling every lever to unlock land, build homes and increase housing supply - as Michelle Lensink said herself in March 2024 “new builds can take a very long time”.”

Originally published as Liberal housing spokeperson Michelle Lensink fears Onkaparinga Heights only housing release to get SA Water pipelines