Parliamentary Committees

PUBLIC WORKS COMMITTEE: PLAYFORD NORTH REGENERATION PROJECT—ANDREWS FARM

Ms CICCARELLO (Norwood) (11:27): I move:

That the 277^th report of the committee, entitled Playford North Regeneration Project—Andrews Farm (Stage 1), be noted.

The Playford North Regeneration Project comprises the regeneration of the existing Davoren Park and Smithfield Plains and the greenfield development of Andrews Farm and Munno Para, and will greatly enhance the northern part of Adelaide. The project is large and complex, and will be implemented over 20 or so years. It will involve the regeneration of a socially disadvantaged community, requiring extensive coordination across agencies as well as extensive community participation and engagement.

The government has committed to development expenditure in excess of $200 million, in addition to the delivery of a B7 and a B12 school through a PPP process. Additional investments are anticipated in health facilities, public transport infrastructure and services, community safety, employment and training.

The Land Management Corporation has negotiated an agreement with the Defence Housing Authority to provide serviced residential lots to facilitate the relocation of the Army's 7^th Battalion from Darwin to Adelaide, with the first group of lots to be available in April 2008. The development of stage 1 (Andrews Farm) has been programmed to meet the authority's time frame for completed allotments.

This stage will use 7.6 hectares of vacant land within the Playford North Regeneration Project boundary. It is generally located on the south-western corner of Davoren Road and Stebonheath Road to the west of the existing Davoren Park suburb. It will be developed and subdivided into the following: 112 residential lots; one group housing site to accommodate up to 10 dwellings; a central public open space reserve; and two open space pocket parks.

Sustainability initiatives featured in the development include subsidies for the installation of gas-boosted solar hot-water heaters: stormwater retention and treatment with hydraulic connection to a broader aquifer storage and recovery system for reticulation to open spaces; and the application of urban design guidelines that lift the benchmark for achieving sustainable outcomes in the area.

The main elements of the urban design guidelines include: orientation and designation of buildings to maximise solar access and minimise overlooking and overshadowing neighbours; optimisation of natural lighting, ventilation and indoor air quality; building energy efficiency; waste management; appliance choice; and landscaping solutions.

The mandatory components of the guidelines will be enforceable through encumbrances on title and will need to be met prior to obtaining development consent. The initiatives have been carefully selected to ensure affordable housing outcomes while lifting the benchmark for the provision of sustainable solutions in the area.

As part of the Playford North master plan review, bus routes are being considered along Stebonheath and Davoren roads, with links to be provided between the new and old areas of Andrews Farm to rail stations and major trip-generating developments in the area. The master plan review has also highlighted the need for east-west pedestrian cycle links through the project area to the rail stations and commercial areas east of the Peachey Belt.

A linear-type park along Davoren Road is proposed to link Andrews Farm with the proposed new school site, the McVeity community facility on Peachey Road and through to the Munno Para shopping centre. A $500 subsidy for the installation of a gas-boosted solar hot water system in new dwellings is to be incorporated into the development, and this will ensure that all new dwellings have a solar system without significant reduction in affordability. This will reduce greenhouse gas emissions from each household, from 2.6 tonnes per annum for an electric storage unit to 0.3 tonnes.

The stormwater system flows to the regional stormwater treatment system to the west. Here, the water is to be treated (via wetlands), injected into aquifers, extracted and used to irrigate open space areas in the region. The provision of high needs housing and affordable housing in Andrews Farm (stage 1) will contribute to the dispersal of high needs housing from the Peachey Belt, and 5 per cent of lots have been selected for high needs housing, although the overall target in the Playford North project is 10 per cent. This discrepancy is because the location of this first stage is some distance from transport, community and health services and employment opportunities.

The LMC will undertake an expression of interest process with the building industry to deliver a demonstration affordable housing project on the high needs housing lots. Those lots will attract a 12.5 per cent discount from the market price. The LMC and Housing SA will enter into a land management agreement, and this will see identified lots listed in a Housing SA catalogue for 90 days. These lots will be only available during the 90-day period to eligible low and moderate income earners. After 90 days, the lots can be sold on the open market at the full valuation price. The total project cost is $6,240,000, and it is anticipated that there will be a profit of $1,899,330. The proposal is expected to deliver:

improved education facilities in the Peachey Belt and greenfield areas;

dispersal of high needs housing in the Peachey Belt;

provision of affordable housing for low and moderate income groups (which more than doubles state housing plan targets);

more integrated human services delivery across agencies, in line with government reform agendas; and

an integrated stormwater detention system providing the opportunity for permanent water bodies, parkland areas, bicycle and walking trails, and aquifer storage and recharge.

Success for this development will rely upon overcoming several key risks, including the need for effective community engagement and the need to change market perception of Peachey Belt. The LMC has implemented a range of actions to address these risks. It is anticipated that housing construction will commence in the first quarter of 2008.

Therefore, based upon the evidence presented to it, and pursuant to section 12C of the Parliamentary Committees Act 1991, the Public Works Committee reports to parliament that it recommends the proposed public work.

Mr PISONI (Unley) (11:34): As a member of the Public Works Committee, I would like to make a few brief comments on the Andrews Farm (stage 1) development. Obviously, I am very pleased to see areas in our outer suburbs being redeveloped for the benefit of residents and to see forward planning for some of the great federal initiatives that have come our way in South Australia for the shifting of the battalions into Adelaide and other things that are happening in the north of Adelaide. It is quite ironic that the northern suburbs seem to be doing quite well with no minister for the northern suburbs. Of course the southern suburbs has a Minister for the Southern Suburbs and yet they are actually struggling quite a bit down there. So, maybe the Minister for the Southern Suburbs could have a look at some of the things that are happening elsewhere.

I need to pick up on the point of maximising solar access that was raised by the member for Norwood. The government still puts restraints on itself when it comes to making sure that our developments and government projects are as sustainable and as green as possible. There is a paragraph in here that actually states that part of the area that is being subdivided as part of this development is north by approximately 38°. That can be fixed: all it needs is money. But, of course, it is not going to be fixed because it goes on to state that, while the north-south street grid is preferred, this re-orientation to the north will result in reduced lot yield which will prevent the Land Management Corporation from meeting its corporate financial target.

So, the government has put a cap on what it is prepared to do to encourage people to use solar power and make use of green energy by its own financial restraints. It has said that it is happy to put a windmill on a building where everyone can see it and get some media attention, but obviously there is not going to be any benefit to the government in spending this extra money re-orientating these blocks so that we get the maximum use, so it is not going to do it. It would rather save the money for perhaps more government advertising or something along those sorts of lines. That is an example of where there are still constraints on our government departments because directives have not come from the Premier or ministers that the No. 1 priority is for the best use of renewable energy in any project.

It goes further to even the installation of small things such as toilets, where new technology tells us that a 4.5/3 flush will do the job just as well as the 6/3 flush—this is litres we are talking about now. I do not need to go into details about when the larger volume of water is required, but new technology is available that has been developed and produced right here in Adelaide where 1.5 litres of water can be saved with every flush because of the new design shapes of the bowl and the new water propelling technology but, of course, the government is not interested. There has been no directive from the government to use these new toilet pans; they are very happy to continue using an extra 1.5 litres for every flush. So, I must say that it is disappointing that the government is putting its own restraints on moving forward in respect of sustainable energy.

I was also disappointed to read that recycled water is not likely to be available for three to five years after the completion of stage 1 of the housing. We are right in the middle of a drought, I would have thought that any pressure we can take off the Murray for our colleagues down in the Lower Lakes should be considered. I know this would not be a lot, but it is a slowly-slowly situation; we have to start somewhere. With the conditions that South Australia is experiencing at the moment, quite frankly, it is unbelievable to see that there is to be a delay of three to five years in the use of recycled water.

So, again, we hear lots of talk about water from this government, but they are not doing the walk—too much talk, not enough walk, not enough action on water. This is a classic example of where the government has full control of the project and it has record revenues to fund it. Mr Foley keeps telling us how we are running with a balanced budget, but he does not tell us that spending is out of control and that we are only being saved by the increased revenues that are coming in over and above the budget. I think it is something like $2 billion over the next four years. So, there is plenty of money out there, if it is managed well, if it is managed properly, to bring projects like this forward and to make proper use of the green energy that is available. I suppose the difficulty there is: how do you get the media? Perhaps they have not worked out the PR angle on this yet and that is what is holding them back. I am happy for the Premier to work out a way to get his face on television over something like this, because then perhaps we will see the money spent on green and renewable energy and water recycling.

Mr PENGILLY (Finniss) (11:40): I would like to make a very brief contribution on this. We are pleased to support the Playford North regeneration project, Andrews Farm stage 1. Obviously, it has gone through, and this side of the house and the Public Works Committee were very keen to have it proceed and be supported. My colleague the member for Unley has picked up on numerous issues he felt he needed to raise and put in some context, and I suppose I would have to say that I am, once again, happy to see money spent in the north, because it has been forgotten—although not as forgotten as the south. However, we continue to see acts of symbolism and, hopefully, this is something that will be of benefit to the community up that way and also to the environment. So, as I said, I am pleased to support it.

I was interested to note in The Advertiser this morning that suburbs in the north (and some in the south) are amongst the poorest economic areas in the metropolitan area. It is also quite interesting to see the wealthiest ones, and I guess what really sparked my interest was the seat of Napier. The member for Napier actually lives in the suburb of Springfield, so there is something a bit confused there; it is not quite right. No doubt they will work that out in due course.

However, the matter this morning is not about that: it is about the project put forward and, as I said in my earlier remarks, I am happy to support the project and speak in favour of it in this place. I look forward to seeing it concluded and having a look out there in due course.

Motion carried.