Land rezoning plan for Seaton to allow 1315 new homes, taller buildings, apartments and higher density

More than 1300 new homes would be packed next to one of Adelaide’s premier golf courses, including 450 apartments.

The area in Seaton, near the Grange golf course, which is being renewed by the state government and getting 1450 new homes. Picture: Renewal SA

Nearly 1315 new homes would be packed into a slice of suburbia in Adelaide’s western suburbs as the state government seeks to find more areas for housing.

The 39ha area in Seaton – between the Grange golf course and Tapleys Hill Rd currently has about 474 homes, but a proposed land rezoning would allow an extra 841 dwellings, including 450 apartments.

Almost 400 Housing Trust homes in the area would be demolished and replaced.

The bid is part of Renewal SA’s Seaton Renewal Project, which aims to build nearly 1500 new homes in the area.

It seeks to rezone to allow taller buildings and higher-density dwellings along major roads and will investigating new zones such as urban renewal, masterplanned urban renewal and urban neighbourhood zones.

The area in red is the proposed land rezoning in Seaton, where building heights would rise to allow nearly 850 extra homes and 400 rebuilt Housing Trust homes if the plan was OKed by the minister.

A state government spokesperson would not say how high the buildings could go.

“The code amendment will investigate which zone and the appropriate maximum building height to be applied to the affected area,” they said.

“All the zones specified to be investigated … support diverse housing options and medium-high-density development in appropriate locations.”

Artist impression of the proposed 1450-home housing development at Seaton, which was first announced by the SA Government in June 2024. Picture: SA Government

The code amendment has been initiated by Housing Minister Nick Champion, opening investigations into which zones are appropriate – and how high buildings could go.

The proposal to initiate shows if the rezoning was accepted by Mr Champion, housing density would lift from about 12.1 homes per hectare to 33.7.

The public documents envisage heights would increase “along transport corridors and near open space”.

Building heights in the area – bound by West Lakes Boulevard, Glenburnie St, Frederick and Tapleys Hill roads and Pedlar and Anthony streets – are currently limited to two storeys or 9m.

“The code amendment will investigate the appropriate policy from the code to be applied to the affected area, including the spatial application of increased maximum building heights in appropriate locations,” the spokesperson said.

An example of the new housing planned for the Seaton renewal. Picture: SA Government

Mr Champion said the code amendment was another milestone in delivery of the Seaton project by Renewal SA and the Housing Trust.

“We have undertaken significant community consultation on all aspects of the project, including on height and density,” he said.

The Tapleys Hill Rd site was identified as a “state-significant infill area” in the Greater Adelaide Regional Plan.

The wider Seaton Renewal Project, a medium-density development, is masterplanned with a mixture of affordable, social and market housing – 137 new homes have been built in stage one.

It aims for 1452 new homes with a mix of vacant land sales, house-and-land packages, affordable housing and social housing, as well as infill created by the code amendment.

It includes upgraded public spaces, new reserves, and a significantly expanded tree canopy.

In February, more homes and vacant land allotments in the renewal project went to the market.

Originally published as Land rezoning plan for Seaton to allow 1315 new homes, taller buildings, apartments and higher density