SA government approves rezoning for high-rise housing in Glenside redevelopment
The decision, announced by Planning Minister Nick Champion on Friday, will see parts of the former Glenside Hospital site upzoned from eight to 20 storeys — an unprecedented scale for development outside the Adelaide CBD.
The land, situated near the corner of Fullarton and Greenhill roads on the edge of the south-eastern parklands, was acquired in 2016 by developers Cedar Woods for $25.8 million.
Cedar Woods has gradually redeveloped the site with townhouses and an eight-storey apartment block.
But the company argued 20 storeys was necessary to allow the Glenside development to reach "its full potential" and applied in December 2023 to amend the planning code.
Mr Champion, who is the final decision-maker on planning code amendments, said the rezoning would allow up to 200 more homes to be built.
He added that there was "quite a bit of [housing] density" on the site already.
"To my mind, having a bit more density of high amenity and high value on this site will actually bring a lot of positive to it," he said.
"I think in time people will see that this was the right decision even if in the run up to it they had concerns about it."
The company welcomed the government's decision today and said it could add up to 200 homes to the existing plans for 1,000 homes on the site.
"This amendment is relevant to the development of a cluster of four buildings within the precinct," Cedar Woods chief operating officer Patrick Archer said in a statement.
"Cedar Woods is proposing one building out of the four to be up to 20-storeys, with the others cascading down to lower heights that will be determined through the design process."
The rezoning proposal has not been without controversy, with a group of nearby residents forming a "Glenside Development Action Group" opposing the rezoning.
They have argued a 20-storey apartment block would lead to overshadowing of their properties and place strain on "already inadequate local infrastructure".
Glenside resident Deborah Munro, who is part of the group, said she would have thought twice about buying her apartment two years ago if she knew of plans for taller builds.
"We chose carefully so there won't be a building, on our understanding, in front that would obstruct our view," she said.
Local MP Jack Batty said the government has "ignored" the wishes of the community.
"It's quite simply unfair for the thousands of people who've bought into this development on the basis of a very different plan," he said.
Another resident and action group member, Craig Pickering, said his main concern was local traffic.
"People who come visit me at my apartment building … they park at Foodland car park because they can't park in my street or anywhere near it because there's no parking available," he said.
Mr Champion said he took the views of everyone into account when making his decision.
"It'd be fair to say there was a lot of commentary and a lot of submissions and a lot of feedback," he said.
"I weighed all of that in the decision I made and obviously the department did too.
"We do take notes from submissions, and many of the issues around infrastructure or traffic will be dealt later by the State Planning Commission."
Cedar Woods will still have to seek approval from the State Planning Commission for its final development proposal.
Its chief operating officer Patrick Archer said the decision followed "a thorough consultation process" which included community feedback.
"The successful outcome of this amendment aligns with South Australia's Housing Roadmap and is intended to create additional high-quality, contemporary housing options within a connected community, supported by established local amenities," he said.
"The local traffic network will accommodate the new development, and additional parking solutions have been proposed to address visitor parking needs."
Liam Golding, CEO of the Urban Development Institute of Australia SA division, said the government's rezoning decision was a "signal of intent for the future".
"If we have underdevelopment now, we'll regret it for years to come where we go 'we could have had some more people living there in such a perfect location,'" he said.
Property Council SA executive director Bruce Djite agreed, adding: "To have seen this development not get 20 storeys would have been a disappointment, especially in the middle of a housing crisis."
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