Premier Peter Malinauskas unveils plan to boost housing supply by slashing red tape

Premier Peter Malinauskas has revealed his plan to ease the housing crisis and cut red tape for major projects.

Premier Peter Malinauskas has unveiled his plan to accelerate housing and employment delivery, by establishing special economic zones for major projects and a coordinator-general to slash red tape.

Legislation introduced to state parliament is designed to help seize economic opportunities by “attracting businesses, projects and urgently building more houses”.

Mr Malinauskas, in a statement to The Advertiser, says the proposed laws aim to address challenges and delays in assessment and approval processes without undermining statutory protections.

They are designed to help manage “a growing number of urgent and significant projects”, including AUKUS nuclear-powered submarine construction, housing and renewable energy.

A key plank is so-called state development areas, which are billed as designated, pre-assessed “go-zones” where red tape will be slashed by pre-completed regulatory work.

Premier Peter Malinauskas has unveiled his plan to accelerate housing and employment delivery, by establishing special economic zones for major projects and a coordinator-general to slash red tape. Picture: Roy VanDerVegt

The aim to change the regulatory process from “reactive to proactive”, meaning projects in areas identified as fit for development can proceed rapidly.

This would be overseen by a newly established coordinator-general role, which appears to be a legislated version of a major projects tsar role created in the late 1990s by the-then Liberal premier John Olsen.

“Global decarbonisation and AUKUS present an unprecedented opportunity to boost

our economic complexity and create more prosperity for South Australians,” Mr Malinauskas said.

“But this won’t just happen. Our state needs to seize these opportunities by attracting

businesses, projects and urgently building more houses.

“Improving the predictability and timeliness of government approvals will remove a

known barrier to the flow of capital. Businesses and projects are attracted to

jurisdictions where they have certainty.”

The aim is to change the regulatory process from “reactive to proactive”, meaning projects in areas identified as fit for development can proceed rapidly. Picture: Matt Loxton

Mr Malinauskas argued the legislation, the State Development Coordination and Facilitation Bill 2025, would ensure SA was internationally competitive and could “move quickly to make decisions and get things done”.

“Importantly, it will do so in a way that ensures our robust statutory requirements and

protections remain unchanged, so South Australians can continue to have confidence in the process of granting planning and regulatory approvals,” he said.

The legislation also is designed to bolster the state’s ability to centrally co-ordinate important projects related to the AUKUS program in an efficient, responsible and rigorous manner.

Mr Malinauskas announced plans for the coordinator-general role in March, 2023, during a so-called State of the State major economic address.

At the time, Mr Malinauskas vowed the new role would not entail any change to, or erosion of, standards or requirements for approvals.

This would include ensuring environmental impacts were properly managed.

Originally published as Premier Peter Malinauskas unveils plan to boost housing supply by slashing red tape