30-YEAR PLAN FOR GREATER ADELAIDE

The Hon. CARMEL ZOLLO (15:20): My question is to the Minister for Urban Development and Planning. Will the minister please provide details of the decision to approve the Encounter Bay retail and residential development near Victor Harbor and indicate how this decision is consistent with the objectives of the 30-Year Plan for Greater Adelaide?

The Hon. P. HOLLOWAY (Minister for Mineral Resources Development, Minister for Urban Development and Planning, Minister for Small Business) (15:21): I can inform honourable members that provisional development approval has been granted to the Makris Corporation for its $250 million Encounter Bay residential and shopping centre project near Victor Harbor. The provisional authorisation has been granted to the proponents under the Development Act's major development assessment process, the most stringent development assessment process available under the state development laws.

The original application was lodged in September 2007 with the Development Assessment Commission, which judged that a public environmental report (also known as a targeted EIS) was required. That PER was then prepared by the proponent and put out for public consultation. The targeted EIS addressed the need for the proposed development, including the South Coast region's medium to long-term retailing needs, and described how the proposal related to the community of Victor Harbor and its surrounding areas.

At the end of the nine week consultation period, 33 public submissions were lodged with the Department of Planning and Local Government, including eight from government agencies and one from the district council of Victor Harbor. The proposal was then amended to address many of the concerns raised in the submissions. This approval allows the construction of an integrated shopping centre and residential complex on the corner of Waitpinga and Tugwell roads.

I anticipate that construction will begin some time next year, with substantial completion of the complex by the end of 2012. The shopping complex incorporates retail outlets, a supermarket, discount store, medical centre, bulky goods retailer, internal mall and food court. The residential component comprises 166 allotments, complemented by appropriate landscaping and recreational areas. This project will create up to 650 new jobs, excluding construction, and will cater for increased demand for retail floor space along the South Coast. This project is expected to generate about $350 million a year for the regional economy in the next decade.

Rather than compete with main street shops in Victor Harbor, the complex provides local residents with an alternative to driving into Adelaide to access major department stores and specialty stores. Located on the ring route, the complex should also service the growing townships of Port Elliot, Middleton and Goolwa. Victor Harbor has been one of the fastest-growing councils in the state during the past decade, with a 3 per cent average yearly growth rate. The 30-Year Plan for Greater Adelaide forecasts that pace of growth will continue, increasing demand for accommodation and services.

It is interesting that the sea change report predicts population growth of 150,000 for that region and the 30-year plan, which I know has been criticised by some as having overblown estimates, talks about more like 22,000, I think, for the entire Fleurieu region. So, although they were expecting significant growth there, it was not quite as much as that sea change growth.

The residential component of this significant project will provide a supply of new housing to meet the expected increase in demand for those people seeking that sea change lifestyle in Victor Harbor. The Encounter Bay village project also provides a range of affordable housing opportunities for the South Coast, making available more alternatives for retired couples, as well as young families and first home buyers, than can be met by the existing housing stock in Victor Harbor.

The 17 reserve matters and 29 conditions attached to the approval ensure that the project addresses the concerns raised during the two years of vigorous assessment and public consultation. I am confident that this project will add to the vitality of the Encounter Bay and Victor Harbor area and further enhance the tourism and lifestyle appeal of the South Coast.

The state government's draft plan for Greater Adelaide projects that population on Fleurieu Peninsula will grow by 22,000 during the next 30 years, with a large proportion of these people looking to live on the coast.

Planning for the needs of the future is very important, and this project goes some of the way towards delivering on the targets for jobs and housing within the region set down in the 30-year plan.

I am delighted that a developer has had the foresight and imagination to invest in this growth area of South Australia. There are those opposed to any form of development who are concerned that the semi-rural appeal of Victor Harbor will be diminished by these sorts of projects, but the fact is that people are already moving into this area, creating new demand for housing and retail opportunities that cannot be met by the current services available in Victor Harbor.

It would be unwise to turn a blind eye to this inevitable growth. The prudent course is to acknowledge this trend and to begin planning to meet the demands of this growing community. Providing a central retail and commercial hub for the South Coast is part of the realisation that the southern Fleurieu Peninsula is a key growth area of this state and will continue to be so well into the future.