Premier Peter Malinauskas to unveil plans for thousands of homes at former Port Stanvac oil refinery

Housing plans for a 230ha former oil refinery in Adelaide’s southwest will be unveiled by Premier Peter Malinauskas.

About 3600 homes will be built at the former Port Stanvac oil refinery site in Adelaide’s southwest, Premier Peter Malinauskas will announce in a pre-election pitch targeted at easing a housing supply crisis.

A 230ha precinct will include the 3600 new homes, with first residents expected by 2028, 40ha of protected coastal land, public beach access, and a town centre next to Lonsdale Railway Station.

Mr Malinauskas on Thursday will announce the state government will work with developer MAB and site owner ExxonMobil, saying the site will be remediated, opened up to the community and include a minimum 15 per cent affordable housing.

The Port Stanvac site abuts the southern boundary of the state seat of Black, where a by-election will be held on Saturday to replace former Liberal leader David Speirs.

A concept image of the Port Stanvac housing plan, supplied by the state government.

Pushing for a historic victory, Labor is trumpeting the planned opening up of beach access and pathways through the site, where an oil refinery opened in 1963, was mothballed by ExxonMobil in 2003, and officially closed in 2009.

“Port Stanvac is one of the most naturally beautiful parts of Adelaide and is a once-in-a generation housing project,” Mr Malinauskas said.

“This will deliver a great result – more homes, better amenities, and an opportunity to complete a coastal walkway – providing significant benefits to those who live to the north and south.”

A contract of sale has been agreed between ExxonMobil and MAB, which in January, 2022, beat the Adelaide Crows for the right to develop the historic Brompton Gasworks site.

The Port Stanvac redevelopment also will include a link connecting the 70km coastal park shared path network, sports fields, along with neighbourhood shops, business, entertainment and recreation facilities.

Other planned land uses include industrial, logistic, warehousing and storage.

The government is vowing to work with Onkaparinga Council and MAB on a planning code amendment that examines future transport and traffic management options.

The Port Stanvac land has been identified in the draft Greater Adelaide Regional Plan for a mix of housing, innovation industries, employment and public space.

Opposition Leader Vincent Tarzia on Tuesday urged the government to take urgent action to ensure Port Stanvac was opened up for housing, saying the site had been allowed to sit idle for too long during a housing crisis.

Premier Peter Malinauskas met with ExxonMobil in the United States in May. Picture: supplied

In a meeting with ExxonMobil in Washington, D.C. in May, Mr Malinauskas threatened to do “whatever it takes” legislatively to force the firm to remediate and sell for housing the refinery site.

The government supplied figures at the time showing about a quarter of the Lonsdale site, or 56ha, was believed to be developable for housing, with conservative estimates showing this would yield about 1500 homes.

Property Council of Australia state executive director Bruce Djite said the development was “a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity”.

“The Malinauskas government must plan and successfully deliver the enabling infrastructure to unlock the supply of homes and jobs for the southern suburbs,” he said.

“The Property Council has advocated for transformation of this site for a number of years and welcomes this news.”

Originally published as Premier Peter Malinauskas to unveil plans for thousands of homes at former Port Stanvac oil refinery