Stop dwelling on it – SA urgently needs more land for housing, builders say

Fast-tracking land releases in areas already earmarked for growth would help solve the housing crisis, say building industry leaders frustrated by the burden of regulations.

Land is the key to affordable, quality housing developments, the building industry says — and it wants more land released as a priority.

Master Builders SA chief executive Will Frogley said the government Housing Roadmap has a lag time before land becomes available.

“What going to bite hard this year is the lack of shovel-ready land,” Mr Frogley said.

“We’re calling on the government to get moving on the priority growth areas that have already been identified in the Greater Adelaide Regional Plan, such as Roseworthy and on the Fleurieu Peninsula.

“Land supply is the key determinant of affordability – if supply doesn’t meet demand, prices keep going up so we need to release land, we can’t sit around waiting for the Housing Roadmap to come to fruition.”

Mr Frogley noted there also are significant opportunities to keep housing affordable with infill projects in the inner southern suburbs such as Clapham, St Marys and Pasadena.

Master Builders SA CEO Will Frogley.

“Many of these hare 950sq m blocks, built post-war and not in the best condition, where you could put two high quality new properties,” he said.

Mr Frogley said building times are coming down since Covid-linked delays but warned adding regulations will drive up cost, building times, and may lead to some developments not going ahead.

He singled out the government plan to make garages bigger.

“The clear message from builders is ‘we have been through quite a bit, can the government just get out of the way and let us build,’ ” he said.

Housing Minister Nick Champion said consultation on the draft Greater Adelaide Regional Plan had concluded.

“The government is considering final adoption of the plan in the first quarter of this year,” he said.

“Already more than 2000m of water mains have been installed across the northern growth front to get more homes built faster. For the first time in a decade, we are installing 1200mm-diameter pipes, which will build capacity in the system and enable future growth.”

Property Council of Australia SA executive director Bruce Djite noted nothing is more costly than time.

Property Council of Australia SA executive director Bruce Djite. Picture: Tom Huntley

“Streamlining planning and approval processes are the best way for the industry to increase housing supply rapidly,” he said.

“Red tape, green tape, taxes and uncertainty lead to significant cost escalation, which is borne overwhelmingly by the end purchaser. The government has significantly more work to do to facilitate the delivery of housing.

“Politicising development, an inability to deliver enabling infrastructure rapidly enough, constant changes such as tightened tree regulation and to be frank silly populist policy ideas such as enforcing double garages on all new dwellings does nothing but further disadvantage all South Australians struggling to enter the housing market – either as renters or owner occupiers.”

Walker Corporation is working to ensure its developments have the services residents need.

Since 2021, Walker has invested more than $71m in essential infrastructure at Riverlea including electrical, water and wastewater services.

As part of a 10-year public transport partnership with the SA government, Walker invested $3m in 2023 to extend two Adelaide Metro bus routes to Riverlea Park, bringing early transport connectivity which it says can require wait times of more than a decade in other masterplanned communities.

All residents have high-speed internet access and the development has delivered the Port Wakefield Road Intersection and more than 20km of new roads and footpaths.

Kapinka Reserve, spanning 5000 sqm, opened in April 2024. The playground designed for adventure and accessibility features state-of-the-art play equipment, large lawn areas, picnic shelters, barbecue facilities and space for community fitness classes.

Milner Place Reserve has become a popular gathering spot for residents.

Walker has invested more than $50m in the entry lakes, pedestrian pathways and landscaping, including hundreds of palm trees, more than 40,000 plants and 70,000 m2 of turf.

Riverlea will eventually be home to 40,000 residents under a $6bn investment, delivered in stages over 20 years, with plans for four schools and retail centres.

Walker managing director and chief executive David Gallant said: “Our delivery of infrastructure upfront at Riverlea replicates the same successful formula we have implemented across our masterplanned communities throughout Australia over the last 50 years like Hope Island Qld, Banksia Grove WA, and Rhodes Peninsula NSW.

“We deliver infrastructure upfront to create connected, house proud neighbourhoods.

“We want our residents to have a great lifestyle close to home, so by creating that environment from the beginning, we can elevate quality of life which in turn helps people feel part of a great community, which they also want to contribute to.”

Waste plant creates a pipeline of housing

By Brad Crouch

The Walker Corporation is building Australia’s largest wastewater pump station to fast-track development at its $6bn Riverlea housing project.

The $6m plant, now under construction and due for completion in April, will speed up the delivery of close to 2000 new homes.

The infrastructure is critical to driving the safe collection and treatment of wastewater before being transported 6km underground to SA Water’s Bolivar plant.

Once finished, the asset will be handed to SA Water for ongoing management.

The private investment comes as five construction companies are being paid up to $600m each to tackle a bottleneck in new water and sewerage networks around Adelaide blocking new housing developments.

Housing and Urban Development Minister Nick Champion last year announced the contractors would work on a $3.3bn capital program with SA Water over the next four years that includes $1.5bn to upgrade pipes, pump stations and tanks, in a bid to unlock a potential 40,000 new allotments across the state.

A Riverlea entry lake sculpture.

Walker senior construction manager Chris Emsley said the Riverlea wastewater project demonstrates how innovative engineering can help fast-track land supply.

“The wastewater pump station creates a sustainable and efficient wastewater management system to help bring nearly 2000 homes online over the coming years. This is a major milestone for our team and will unlock all kinds of housing options here at Riverlea,” Mr Emsley said.

“Walker is working closely with SA Water and key authorities to speed up the delivery of the vital infrastructure needed to get land ready for construction, helping more South Australians achieve their dream of home ownership.”

Emma and Jordan Bristow with their new baby Leo and dogs Ziggy and Murphy at Riverlea. Picture: Ben Clark

Already home to more than 1000 residents, Riverlea is playing a vital role in meeting demand in Adelaide’s northern growth corridor, with Playford Council’s population projected to grow by more than 60 per cent between 2025 and 2046.

The first stage of the project is expected to create some 1300 local construction jobs.

The next batch of Riverlea lots benefiting from the accelerated infrastructure will be released in stages throughout the year, offering land for house-and-land packages, townhouses and affordable homes for essential workers.

Riverlea eventually will be home to 40,000 residents, with the community delivered in stages over the next 20 years.

Infrastructure underway includes the $100m The Palms Shopping Village.

A new school, delivered in partnership with Catholic Education South Australia, is set to open at the start of the 2027 school year for Reception to Year 6 students.

Eventually it will expand all the way up to Year 12.

Long-term plans for Riverlea include four new schools, 50ha of lakes, 450ha of open space and 50km of bike trails.

Originally published as Stop dwelling on it – SA urgently needs more land for housing, builders say