House of Assembly - Fifty-Third Parliament, Second Session (53-2)
2015-05-06 Daily Xml

Contents

Urban Development Plan

Mr ODENWALDER (Little Para) (14:51): My question is to the Minister for Planning. Can the minister inform the house of recent steps taken to increase inner and middle urban density?

Mr Pengilly interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The member for Finniss has been playing up all question time. The minister.

The Hon. J.R. RAU (Enfield—Deputy Premier, Attorney-General, Minister for Justice Reform, Minister for Planning, Minister for Housing and Urban Development, Minister for Industrial Relations, Minister for Child Protection Reform) (14:51): I thank the honourable member for his question. We all know that our communities and economy can gain many benefits from well-designed increased density in our inner and middle urban areas. Through a considered and consultative approach we can provide more living options in suitable locations that are close to various services and to transport whilst also stimulating growth in our economy.

Recent steps taken to achieve this include the announcement yesterday of the second stage of the inner middle metropolitan corridor development plan amendment. This builds on the success of stage 1 of this process which has seen around $250 million worth of projects approved or under active consideration since March of this year. Most recent projects approved under stage 1, for example, have included 244 to 248 Unley Road, Hyde Park—I think that's in the member for Unley's patch—

Mr Pisoni interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The member for Unley is warned for the first time.

The Hon. J.R. RAU: —140 residential apartments—

Mr Pisoni interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The member for Unley is warned for the second and final time.

The Hon. J.R. RAU: —10 separate two-storey townhouses, and a retail and cafe space at ground level, and a total of 226 car parking spaces and 62 bicycle parking spaces will also be provided. At 254-256 The Parade (which I think is the Leader of the Opposition's electorate), this development involves the construction of a mixed-use five-storey building, including to ground level retail shops and residential apartments. A total of 36 apartments will be distributed amongst the two buildings connected by aerial walkways. Twenty one parking spaces and 44 bicycle parking spaces will be provided.

Councils and communities within the targeted areas will now have considerable opportunity to consider and input into this stage 2 development plan amendment. On 30 April, I was also pleased to announce that Devine, a leading developer, will be transforming the former Magill Youth Training Centre to a modern urban community of more than 300 homes—

Mr Tarzia: What about the traffic, though?

The Hon. J.R. RAU: This 19 hectare site—

Mr Tarzia interjecting:

The Hon. J.R. RAU: I thought it would excite the member for Hartley.

The Hon. J.J. Snelling: He sounds like a budgerigar.

The Hon. J.R. RAU: I thought it would excite the member for Hartley.

The SPEAKER: The member for Hartley is warned for the first time and the Minister for Health will rise and withdraw and apologise for referring to the member for Hartley as a budgerigar.

The Hon. J.J. SNELLING: I withdraw and apologise for referring to the member for Hartley as a budgerigar.

The SPEAKER: The Deputy Premier.

The Hon. J.R. RAU: Thank you, Mr Speaker. Although I do not compare the member to—

The Hon. J.M. Rankine interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The member for Wright is warned. The Deputy Premier.

The Hon. J.R. RAU: Initially, the sound did remind me of the parrot in SpongeBob, but, anyway.

This 19 hectare site will provide diversity in housing types and density whilst maintaining approximately 30 per cent of the site as open space. The member for Hartley has already made a contribution, so I don't need to say anything further about him. Fifteen per cent of these homes will be affordable housing, creating more homes for real people who have real lives and who have jobs and kids to take to school, which I think was the quote the member for Hartley used the other day.

Further, the context of the closure of the former Magill training centre at Woodforde should also be noted. It was not a straightforward sale of property off the public books as some might suggest. The closure followed the opening of the Adelaide Youth Training Centre at Cavan in August 2012.

Work is also presently underway to reform our planning system with the aim to introduce to this house a bill in July that takes into consideration the final report and recommendations of the Expert Planning Panel. Opportunity will be afforded to all to provide input into this bill over the winter break, and indeed we are working with key interest groups in drafting these reforms such as the Local Government Association. Part of these reforms will take into account ways to ensure that our planning system facilitates and encourages well-designed urban infill through such mechanisms as having value-added assessment processes and through establishing an appropriately defined urban growth boundary.

The SPEAKER: Alas, there is time for no more.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: It is always out of order to refer to members as animals, whether they are canaries or mosquitoes on heroin.

An honourable member interjecting:

The SPEAKER: No, similes and metaphors are treated alike by standing orders. Member for Fisher.