Ministerial Statement

CITY OF ADELAIDE PLANNING

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL (Cheltenham—Premier, Minister for State Development) (14:06): I seek leave to make a ministerial statement.

Leave granted.

The Hon. J.W. WEATHERILL: Today the Deputy Premier and I have announced a package of reforms to our planning system that will help us to deliver a more vibrant Adelaide. A recent survey commissioned by the Property Council found that Adelaide is rated by Australians as the most liveable capital city in Australia. These reforms will help ensure that we build on that reputation. These reforms are built on a landmark agreement with the Adelaide City Council. My government has taken a collaborative approach to deliver these reforms, with the Deputy Premier working directly and intensively with Lord Mayor Stephen Yarwood, Deputy Lord Mayor David Plumridge, Councillor Michael Llewellyn-Smith and all councillors and council staff.

This is a very significant change, setting aside many years of disagreement between the council and the government about planning for our city—and a demonstration about how this government wants to work. The city centre of Adelaide is the heart of our state's civic, commercial and cultural life, and must be a place where we can showcase the best of South Australia to the rest of the nation and the world.

We are planning to ensure our city can both accommodate population growth and provide a dynamic urban environment that attracts business and investment, supports affordable living, provides long-term career prospects for our young people, and offers an exciting mix of social and cultural activities.

Our reform package includes once-in-a-generation rezoning of the city centre to attract more people to the city to live—supporting more jobs, more investment and more interstate and overseas visitors. A new Capital City Zone will provide for mixed use development across most of the square mile, while also setting high standards for design excellence and ensuring ground-level land uses which activate Adelaide's squares, main streets and terraces.

The government understands that there is currently in excess of $500 million in investment-ready projects which will be unlocked by the new zone. The overwhelming support of the city council means that the new zones will come into effect tomorrow. This will not apply to existing residential areas of the city, which will be looked at separately in due course by the city council.

In addition, council will begin consultation on 77 proposed local heritage places. A heritage development plan amendment will commence tomorrow to protect these places during the consultation. The reform package also includes regulation amendments which will streamline the development assessment process.

A new case management system will also assist potential investors in the city to navigate the development assessment process, while ensuring the statutory independence of the assessment process is maintained. It will be complemented by a new Capital City Development Assessment Committee, operating under the supervision of the Development Assessment Commission, with a mandate to focus on city development.

Taken together, the reforms in this package represent a landmark reform to our city planning system. This will help Adelaide to maintain and improve its edge as the nation's most liveable capital city and deliver our vision of a vibrant place to live, work and enjoy.