Hickinbotham - Port Noarlunga South

The development—which would’ve straddled both Port Noarlunga South and Seaford Meadows—is now solely contained within Port Noarlunga South.

This followed community consultation in 2021 by the state government into realigning part of the boundary between the two suburbs, which it said would provide better land administration, and avoid any potential for confusion for emergency services.

• In 2018, SCAP granted development approval to the Hickinbotham Group’s proposal to divide land on Commercial Road. Council was aggrieved by SCAP’s decision, as council viewed the application to not have followed appropriate processes, including the need for Public Notification.
  
  
• In early 2019, council commenced judicial review proceedings with the Supreme Court of South Australia against SCAP and Hickinbotham Group, challenging the legal validity of the approval.
  
  
• As part of the pre-trial process, the court convened a mediation process, presided over by Justice Hinton and Commissioner Rumsby, and attended by representatives of Hickinbotham Group and Council, including Mayor Erin Thompson.
  
  
• On the 22nd December 2020, as a result of the mediation process, Hickinbotham Group lodged a variation application with SCAP.
  
  
•  On 14th April 2021, SCAP approved the variation application.
  
  
•  Due to council’s actions on this matter, the approved plan of division:
  • Increases the amount of usable open space within the development
  • Relocates stormwater infrastructure into the adjoining recreation park so as to make the open space more useable, and
  • Removed residential allotments from the north-western corner of the development to preserve views of the recreation park.
• As a result of these changes made, the legal proceedings initiated by council were than discontinued.
  
  
• In January 2022, Stage 1 of the development was released for sale, coinciding with the start of civil construction works.

In accordance with expert ecological advice, the developers and the state government have made provisions for the small mob of kangaroos to be progressively and safely migrated across the development site and to the nearby national park area where they will remain visible to the community.

The Development Deed between the developer (Hickinbotham Group) and Renewal SA (the vendor) for the Port Noarlunga South residential subdivision on Commercial Road, requires provision of a minimum 15 percent affordable housing and 90 social housing outcomes on any development that occurs on the land. Council is not a party to the deed.

The provision of 15 percent affordable housing is a state government target for all new significant developments. It was initiated in 2007 and is aimed at assisting low to moderate income earners buy their own homes.

The developer has confirmed that these sites will be scattered throughout the division.

The developer was not required to nominate these lots specifically on the plan of division during the assessment of the land division application, however 15 per cent of the allotments equates to approximately 94 affordable housing sites plus 90 social housing products (completed homes).

This will result in 29 percent of all proposed allotments in this division being allocated to meet these requirements. The outcome for this development is therefore nearly double that normally required of a master-planned development.

Affordable housing stock is managed by various community housing /social housing providers and released in an open market application process whereby any person meeting the criteria for that property may submit an application and be considered for the property.

The general eligibility requirements for affordable housing, as prescribed by Renewal SA, are that the person/s:

• is 18 years of age or older
• does not currently own a property
• plans to live in the new affordable home
• is a South Australian resident
• earns less than $110,000 per year as a couple, or $85,000 per year as a single
• has assets within the allowed limits.

Currently, all affordable homes cost less than $367,100 (or up to $422,050 if key criteria are met).

Renewal SA's website contains more information including fact sheets and contact details.

Social housing assets are managed by Renewal SA, in partnership with notfor-profits, private industry and other government departments.

Tenancy management is undertaken by the SA Housing Authority (SAHA) or community housing providers such as Junction Australia.

Social housing can be provided by the developer as either housing products or vacant allotments.

When the Port Noarlunga South land was put to market by Renewal SA, it was specified that of the 90 social housing products.