Plans for thousands of new homes and high-rises for city suburb
The state government is rezoning a prime shopping precinct with plans for thousands of new homes and high-rise suburban apartment towers stretching to 20 storeys.
The state government has unveiled plans for a major mixed-use redevelopment at the Westfield shopping centre at West Lakes which could see the construction of up to 2000 new homes and multi-storey high-rise apartments.
Under the proposal, land holdings including some of the existing 3900 ground level car parking spaces would be targeted for medium and high-density residential apartments.
A planning code amendment is set to begin the rezoning process with potential building heights of up to 20-storeys flagged.
Premier Peter Malinauskas said the development would meet the demand for the “thousands of workers”, including those commuting to the AUKUS nuclear-powered submarine construction yard on LeFevre Peninsula.
“We have been clear that Adelaide must grow up in the right locations as well as out in the right locations,” Malinauskas said.
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“That means height in locations already serviced by public transport, parking and infrastructure, and more space on suburban streets for larger homes and less congestion.”
Rezoning would open the way for residential towers to be built alongside the Westfield shopping centre which comprises 71,439 square metres of floor area.
The state government has touted the West Lakes site as the “right location” due to its proximity to the bus interchange which has frequent services to the CBD and connecting rail networks.
“When we see shopping centres who want to build upwards in locations that are of strategic value, we want to support them where we can,” Malinauskas said.
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“There are thousands of car parks that we could easily build above that doesn’t compromise car parking spaces but does accommodate a lot more homes.
“If we don’t get more homes, we will miss out on the economic opportunity of a lifetime, so propositions like this one make sense for the future of our state and we want to help make it happen.”
West Lakes shopping centre would continue to trade during the land investigations and future construction.
Housing Minister Nick Champion said the transformation of the West Lakes site would “make a serious contribution to fixing the national housing crisis in South Australia”.
“Homes above the shops, on a site that already has the roads, the buses, the car parking, amenity and the community services to support them. This plan makes sense,” Champion said.
Scentre Group’s CEO Elliott Rusanow, which owns and operates Westfield precincts across Australia and New Zealand said the site was “well connected to existing infrastructure”.
Scentre Group has pursued similar mixed-use precincts on its shopping centre landholdings in the ACT and NSW.
“Our long-term vision is to create new housing while enhancing the public spaces, connectivity and amenities that make Westfield West Lakes such an important part of the Adelaide community,” Rusanow said.
“We look forward to this becoming a reality to deliver more homes for this community in the many years to come.”
It follows last month’s announcement of more than 1300 new homes to be built at a nearby site in Seaton next to the Grange Golf Course.
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