Consultation will open in the coming months on a proposed major rezoning application in the Limestone Coast, with the State Government calling on the community to provide feedback on the plans.
Wattle Range Council is applying to rezone 10 parcels of land in the region, specifically around the townships of Millicent, Penola, Beachport and Glencoe.
The council has grouped all 10 potential rezonings into the one code amendment application to streamline the process and provide greater transparency for the community.
The areas under consideration have been identified in the council’s 25 Year Strategic Land Use Plan to accommodate housing and employment growth, as the population surges in the nearby major centres of Mount Gambier and Robe.
If approved, the rezoning would facilitate a wider range of housing including rural living opportunities, as well as accommodation and employment uses on strategic sites located close to town centres.
The application states it would protect the productive farming land in the area and also provide accommodation to reinforce the region as a strong tourism destination.
The code amendment proposal will soon proceed to the consultation phase, with the council to undertake further investigations with input from the local community later this year.
Wattle Range Council chief executive Ben Gower said the plan was designed to provide development pathways for the next 25 years.
“The plan was established in conjunction with each of our 13 townships through multiple community engagement sessions that took place over a 12 month period,” he said.
“After reviewing the amount of land available for development, we then initiated the above code amendments to address any gaps in the property market.
“Now the Minister has approved the initiation of the code amendments, we would like to hear from our communities once again to ensure there are no surprises before they are implemented. Further consultation sessions will be occurring in mid-2024.”
Member for MacKillop Nick McBride has been a vocal advocate for increasing and improving the housing supply in the region which is a powerful economic stimulator for the state.
Mr McBride said he had been working with all tiers of government to seek solutions to the housing shortage that exists across his electorate.
“I am pleased the Wattle Range Council is taking a proactive approach by seeking to open up land for development,” he said.
“A shortage of affordable housing has significant personal, financial and economic impacts. It affects the way businesses can operate and makes it difficult to attract workers across vital sectors including agriculture and food processing.
“I encourage the community to provide their feedback on the proposed rezoning option and hope that it leads to a positive outcome.”
Minister for Planning Nick Champion said the State Government has an emphasis on streamlining the code amendment process for both metropolitan and regional South Australia as part of the A Better Housing Future initiative.
Mr Champion said through the plan the government has implemented significant reforms to release record amounts of land, cut taxes for home buyers, turnaround the long-term decline in public housing, streamline planning approvals, and reform the rental market to deliver new benefits to tenants.
“This is a major rezoning application which would apply to 10 different areas across the Lower South East and I think it’s great the council is looking at ways to provide more housing in the community,” he said.
“Like all our regions, there is significant stress on the local property market in the South East, with an increasing population and incredibly low rental vacancies.
“We are interested to hear what the local community thinks about the proposed changes and what kind of impact it would have on the area.”
