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Legislative Council - Fifty-First Parliament, Third Session (51-3)
2009-10-15 Daily Xml
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30-YEAR PLAN FOR GREATER ADELAIDE

The Hon. CARMEL ZOLLO (15:09): My question is to the Minister for Urban Development and Planning. On 6 July, the government unveiled the historic 30-Year Plan for Greater Adelaide, a blueprint for tackling the economic and environmental challenges that face our generation. As the deadline for feedback from the public closed on 30 September, will the minister provide an update on the response from the community on this important strategic document?

The Hon. P. HOLLOWAY (Minister for Mineral Resources Development, Minister for Urban Development and Planning, Minister for Small Business) (15:10): About two weeks ago the deadline closed for people to have their say about the draft 30-Year Plan for Greater Adelaide. Adelaide is where we live and it is important that we seek input from individuals, councils, industry and community groups about the plan for tackling the challenges that lie ahead in the next three decades.

The draft plan is a major forward looking document, the likes of which have not been seen in South Australia since the 1960s post-war baby boomer population expansion. This is a new vision that addresses issues being faced in the 21st century about where we live, work and travel and relate to our environment, but it also draws on the legacy created by Colonel Light in the original plan for Adelaide.

With the release of this draft plan this government has recognised the absolute necessity of forward planning as an important tool in guiding policy decisions in key areas, such as infrastructure, which includes housing, health, education, transport (for the benefit of the Leader of the Opposition) and water security.

Adelaide is already recognised as one of the world's most liveable cities. Our parklands, public spaces, heritage buildings, character streetscapes and proximity to both the hills and sea are all attributes that make our city a desirable place in which to live. Maintaining and improving the liveability of our city is one of the key objectives of the draft plan for Greater Adelaide.

The centrepiece of our approach will be to encourage transit oriented development and infill opportunities around transit corridors. Some of the ways in which these will contribute to liveability are:

increasing densities around stations and transport interchanges that encourage the creation of walkable, safe and connected, less car reliant neighbourhoods;

placing emphasis on good design and mixed use precincts that create distinct neighbourhoods with their own character and identity; and

encouraging a diversity of housing that allows people to move from a house on a large block of land to a townhouse or apartment, but not have to move away from their existing community.

Given the rapid ageing of the population, the number of people aged 65 and over will increase from about 18 per cent to 22 per cent of the population over the course of this period. I think just about everyone in this parliament will be included in that group over the next 30 years, so the proportion will go from 18 per cent to 22 per cent. Clearly, in order to have diversity of housing that allows people to move from areas where they currently live to more complex, dense living in their neighbourhood is incredibly important.

Since the launch of the draft plan in July there has been a comprehensive program to advise and inform business, industry, local government and the community. Public comment is vital in developing a final version of this major strategic plan. At last count, the Department of Planning and Local Government had received more than 570 submissions. On 30 September, when the deadline closed, we had received—

The Hon. R.L. Brokenshire: I have one in there.

The Hon. P. HOLLOWAY: If it was in early it would have been one of the 350 we had at lunch on the last day, but a number of submissions were received subsequent to the deadline or in the mail the next morning. Obviously, we have included those submissions so it is now more than 570 submissions.

More than half the submissions have been lodged by individual South Australians. The remaining submissions have been received from councils, academics, industry, business and community groups, as well as government agencies. During the community consultation period the government faced a campaign of disinformation and misinformation, including things about maps and the colour of maps.

We had a campaign of misinformation. We had population growth forecasts, which we were told were overblown. Population forecasts were wilfully distorted and we had the expected carping about editorial and technical detail. Most of that criticism was a diversion, rather than a critique of the basic objectives of the 30-year plan. Much of the feedback, as a result of early review of the submissions, indicates that people are generally supportive of the thrust of the plan, although naturally there is some criticism about how it applies to specific regions, especially in terms of getting the planning right for infrastructure and services. No doubt there are those who are opposed to it. Of course, there are some people who are opposed to any growth at all, while others support growth, just somewhere else, not in their part of Adelaide.

Greater Adelaide covers a large metropolitan semi-rural area from Gawler in the north to Victor Harbor in the south out towards Murray Bridge in the east and Gulf St Vincent to the west. We need to create a framework for sustainable growth to accommodate the expected population growth of 560,000, up to 282,000 new jobs required and 258,000 additional dwellings during the next 30 years. Other features of the draft 30-year plan include planning the development of about 60 per cent of new housing within metropolitan Adelaide within 800 metres of a transit corridor, increasing housing density, particularly around mass transit hubs and corridors and bringing housing, jobs, transport and services into these mixed use developments to reduce the need for people to drive their motor vehicles.

Also, of course, is the capitalising on record infrastructure spending, currently running at more than $11 billion over the next four years, including more than $2.5 billion in public transport upgrades. It is interesting that the Leader of the Opposition talks about a plan; I would have thought $2.5 billion worth of additional spending—$2.5 billion in public transport upgrades—is the policy that you want to have. I suppose what we will get from members opposite is an unfunded plan about doing something they have no intention of doing. This government is actually delivering real dollars—billions of dollars—in relation to the upgrading of infrastructure; I think something like seven times the level that existed prior to this government coming to office.

The draft 30-year plan also protects up to 375,000 hectares of significant agricultural land and earmarks about 5,000 hectares of land designated for employment opportunities. Also, of course, we are committed to ensuring a 25 year rolling supply of land, with 15 years zoned supply for future urban development. This will keep housing prices in Adelaide competitive and will support the affordable housing targets. I take this opportunity to thank all those residents of Greater Adelaide who took the time to obtain a copy of the draft plan and lodge a submission with the Department of Planning and Local Government.

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order! If you want to waste the last five minutes of question time, keep interjecting.

The Hon. P. HOLLOWAY: I was acknowledging your indication that the debate should cease so that you could deal with those interruptions from members opposite. I would like to get this on the record, because I would like to thank all those members of Greater Adelaide who took the time to obtain a draft plan and lodge a submission with the Department of Planning and Local Government. I am delighted that so many individuals, community groups and organisations have taken the time to contribute to this blueprint for tackling these economic and environmental challenges that face our generation. These submissions will be used together with feedback from regional meetings held throughout Greater Adelaide during the past three months to determine the final shape of the 30-year plan.

Members interjecting:

The Hon. P. HOLLOWAY: It is amazing how members opposite are always making this spurious claim that somehow or other this government does not believe in community consultation. As soon as we talk about it, what do they do? They totally ignore it and try to ridicule it. They really are a divided group that is looking for somewhere. They are like a dog chasing its tail; they really do not know the direction they are going in. These submissions will be used to help shape the final 30-year plan. Local government and industry have also played a key role in reviewing the plan and its contents and holding specific events to discuss the targets and strategies within the draft plan.

The response to the 30-year plan shows the absolute necessity of providing forward planning as an important tool to guide government decision making in key policy areas such as infrastructure, housing, health, education, transport and water security. If the honourable member looks at the plan he will see where much of the indicated future transport is located, but of course it is a 30-year plan. Some of that will be indicative.

This government is not arrogant enough to suggest that we can determine everything that will happen in the next 30 years, but in the immediate future and over the next five years we will be putting an incredibly substantially large amount of money—billions of dollars—into our infrastructure. The final version of this document will give South Australia one of the most competitive planning systems in Australia, while ensuring that Adelaide remains one of the most liveable, competitive and sustainable cities in the world.

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