Environment and Food Production Areas Bill
Mr Speaker, South Australians need choice. They need freedom. If we are to tackle this state’s, this country’s, indeed, the developed world’s housing supply shortage, we need more housing.
If we are to return to young South Australian’s the ability to be able to believe in the right of home ownership, the quintessentially Australian deal that if you work hard at school, then technical college or university, and then, work in your chosen profession, or industry, and put something away each week, that home ownership is something you have a right to believe in, then we need more housing.
If we are to be honest and say that the bank of mum and dad is actually un-Australian – we are not Great Britain – Australia is not supposed to have a class system, our ethos is egalitarianism.
So, the bank of mum and dad as the party of those opposite believe in, runs contrary to the Australian ethos.
The only way we return a half reasonable chance of young Australians being able to aspire to home ownership is if we build more homes. If we don’t do this, then we are failing our young people.
But Mr Speaker, more housing won’t happen by accident. It won’t happen without a plan. It needs to be planned for, and that is what the Malinauskas Labor Government has done.
The hard work, the policy development required to return that right to the young people of this state.
The Planning, Development and Infrastructure (Environment and Food Production Areas) Amendment Bill 2025 exemplifies just that.
It is a significant piece of legislation aimed at keeping South Australia’s planning system responsive as we manage population growth and housing demand.
A key initiative of the Government’s Housing Roadmap and the Greater Adelaide Regional Plan, or the GARP, is ensuring a sufficient supply of serviced land to meet both current and future housing needs.
The GARP has identified land needed for long-term growth, and given there are limited options, much of it falls within the current Environment and Food Production Areas (EFPA).
Based on these investigations, approximately 61,000 new homes will be built on land currently designated as EFPA.
When the Planning, Development and Infrastructure Act 2016 was first introduced, government policy prioritised urban consolidation, targeting 85% of all growth through infill development.
However, that approach is inconsistent with current policy, which identifies both infill and greenfield development as necessary to meet housing demand.
Why? Again, because we listened. I have done a lot of door-knocking in my electorate. I have spoken to thousands of people. And what they told me, time and time again, and you can have this for free, save you using FOI’s to discover what the issues are; what people told me is that they were sick of seeing one property replaced by four, or even six town houses.
They were sick of the pressure that put on on-street parking. They were fed up with trades, contractors, baby-sitters, family and friends not being able to park nearby. And of course, that impact is even worse on elderly people. People who have lived in their home for years, in perfectly liveable suburbs, and then suddenly in recent years, an explosion of urban infill means they are literally hemmed in by cars. Some streets have become impassable. Well, I passed that on. I had meetings. I had a meeting about it with Minister Champion as far back as April 2022.
And the minister listened. And the Malinauskas Government listened. They listened to the concerns of my community. And responded.
One response was the increase in garage sizes – a measure specifically called for by many people I spoke to. People who told me time and again that garages were too small for modern cars – and probably not just modern cars to be honest. I don’t think you’d have been able to get out of a Holden Kingswood in many modern garages.
Anyway, the new garage size means you will be able to open your car door in the garage, meaning less people will need to park on the street.
But this represents major policy. Policy that is thoughtful and responsive to the needs of our population, now and into the future. An if you remember, Labor went to the 2022 election as the only party with a plan for the future.
And there were people who voted Labor for the first time who told me they were doing so because Peter Malinauskas had a vision for the next 30 years of this state. And that’s exactly what this Bill is part of – that vision.
But the truth is, if you don’t support a freeing up of that imposition to build 85% of all new housing within our existing residential area, then you just aren’t listening.
The EFPA provisions, which were designed to enforce urban consolidation, now need to be adjusted to reflect the reality of South Australia’s housing needs.
To address this, the Government has introduced this Bill to amend the Planning, Development and Infrastructure Act 2016, ensuring EFPA boundaries align with the GARP’s long-term growth areas.
The Bill will establish a revised GRO (Government Registry Office) Plan outlining new EFPA boundaries, ensure any land removed from the EFPA is protected from premature fragmentation through the Limited Land Division Overlay, and remove the outdated urban consolidation test that has restricted boundary amendments.
It also guarantees that future variations align with the GARP’s 30-year land supply framework and strengthens requirements for considering population growth in planning decisions.
Extensive assessments as part of the GARP process have guided these changes, taking into account agricultural land quality, environmental sensitivity, cultural heritage significance, and proximity to existing services and infrastructure.
And the reality is, even with these revisions, key agricultural lands surrounding Greater Adelaide will remain protected, with less than 1% of key agricultural land affected.
The EFPA, along with the Hills Face Zone and Character Preservation Districts, will continue to serve as a strong urban growth boundary, balancing housing development with agricultural preservation.
And importantly, while this Bill amends EFPA boundary criteria, it does not change the process for making amendments.
The Planning Commission will still review the EFPA every five years, considering housing and employment growth, protection of rural and environmental lands, and consistency with the GARP.
Findings will continue to be tabled in Parliament, allowing both Houses to pass a motion of disallowance if necessary.
This Bill is a critical step toward ensuring South Australia’s growth is well-planned, and our communities remain liveable and well-serviced.
Without these changes, our ability to meet housing demand would be severely constrained, limiting opportunities for sustainable development.
At the same time, the Malinauskas Labor Government is committed to protecting our built heritage and character areas.
Mr Speaker, I want to say that I sincerely appreciate the genuine consultation that Minister Champion has engaged in with me. We have spoken many times about the importance of protecting our state’s heritage.
Well before 2022 he listened to me as I explained to him in detail, the concerns of my community; concerns I knew about because I have lived in my community for over 12 years and I have been talking with and listening to people in my community since well before I made the decision to run for parliament.
Minister Champion knows that heritage protection is a particular passion of mine, and something I am determined to pursue as a representative, now, of my wonderful electorate of Dunstan.
Minister Champion has listened to the voices of my community, he has taken notice of our passion, for protecting our State’s built heritage.
Indeed, since the 2022 election, both the Premier, the Deputy Premier and Minister Champion have made it a priority to strengthen the state’s planning rules to provide greater protection to historic buildings and character areas.
Unlike under the Marshall Liberal Government, the door has now been opened to enable councils to elevate Character Areas to Historic Areas, ensuring stronger demolition controls and better preservation of South Australia’s unique streetscapes.
This Government, through the department, is providing councils with guidance and support needed for this to happen, including detailed requirements for heritage surveys and procedural steps for updating Character and Historic Area Statements.
By refining these statements, councils can ensure that new developments complement the distinct character of historic neighbourhoods. Another very important change many in my community asked for.
Stronger demolition controls have also been introduced, requiring that any demolition in Character and Historic Areas can only occur once a replacement building has been approved.
Again, this was called for by my community and is important in preventing inappropriate gaps in established streetscapes and ensures that new developments contribute positively to the area’s character.
Additionally, the Government is strengthening protections for South Australia’s state heritage-listed places by increasing penalties under the Heritage Places Act 1993.
Maximum fines for demolition through neglect have been doubled, with individuals facing penalties of up to $500,000 and body corporates up to $1M – a proper protective measure.
Additional enforcement measures, such as repair notices and restoration orders, will further deter neglect of heritage-listed properties.
I want to recognise Mayor Robert Bria, with whom I have a great working relationship, and who I know is also passionate about protecting our local character and heritage, and the City of Norwood Payneham & St Peters who are embracing their role in protecting our local heritage, and who have been proactive in implementing these reforms, initiating a Code Amendment to identify additional Representative Buildings and extend the Historic Area Overlay to increase protections.
This is part of a broader effort to enhance heritage protections in our shared area.
Recognising the importance of these local initiatives,
the State Government is supporting councils like Norwood Payneham & St Peters by providing matched funding grants of up to $75,000 to assist with Code Amendments that strengthen heritage protections.
Beyond housing and heritage, the Government is investing heavily in infrastructure to support growing communities.
SA Water has committed $1.5 billion between 2024 and 2028 to unlock new growth areas within Adelaide.
Key transport corridors are being safeguarded to ensure long-term connectivity.
Additionally, the Northern Adelaide Parklands project will provide nearly 1,000 hectares of green space, enhancing biodiversity and creating new recreational opportunities.
This Bill is part of a broader, coordinated effort to prepare South Australia for the future.
By ensuring our planning system is responsive, our housing supply is sustainable, our heritage is preserved, and our infrastructure is strategically developed, we are protecting what makes our communities unique while ensuring they remain vibrant and liveable for generations to come.
I commend this Bill to the House.