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The SA Government is moving to unlock designated farming land for more housing development in the greater Adelaide area.
The Labor government will introduce a Bill that changes the boundaries of Environment and Food Production Areas (EFPA) to ensure a supply of greenfield (undeveloped) land over 30 years.
The boundary changes will bring it into line with the Greater Adelaide Regional Plan (GARP) which is targeting 61,500 new homes by boosting the supply of land.
The Plan states that EFPAs were introduced in 2017 to protect agricultural land by limiting the ability to subdivide.
The government says 7324ha of EFPA sites at Roseworthy, Two Wells, Murray Bridge, Victor Harbor and Goolwa have been identified as potential greenfield land.
Government expects that less than 1 per cent of agricultural land in Greater Adelaide will be affected.
SA Premier Peter Malinauskas says the changes are necessary to cater for a growing population.
“We know our state is growing. We want to make sure it grows in the right way,” he says.
“That means learning the lessons of the past where growth has not been properly calibrated.”
He says they want to see greater planning in managing that housing growth “in a way that gives people choice”.
In the next 30 years, South Australia will need 315,000 new homes, government says. The Plan identifies greenfield and urban infill sites to meet that target.
Housing Minister Nick Champion says there is a clear need for rolling development-ready (greenfield) land to avoid another housing crisis.
“Changes to the legislation will align the EFPA to government policy, which states there is no longer a target for greenfield vs infill development,” he says.
“The GARP identifies land appropriate for housing which is neighbouring existing residential areas and is already well serviced by infrastructure.”
The bill to amend the Planning, Development and Infrastructure Act 2016 is due to be introduced to State Parliament this week.
