The Hickinbotham Group commenced civil construction works on a 42-hectare 644 allotment residential development on the corner of Commercial Road and Jared Road, Port Noarlunga South, in January 2022.
The land has been zoned residential by the state government since 1988 and the development received development approval by the state government’s State Commission Assessment Panel (SCAP).
See below for the latest project updates, project history, and City of Onkaparinga’s actions to influence the development.
View a copy of the plan that received development approval by the SCAP and subsequent engineering approval for Stage 1 from Council below.
Approved plan(PDF, 679KB)
The Hickinbotham Group have released an information paper and concept plan for an upgrade of the Onkaparinga River Recreation Park, which is adjacent the residential development.
Information paper(PDF, 161KB)
Concept plan(PDF, 845KB)
The Hickinbotham Group entered into a partnership with the Department for Environment and Water (DEW) and the City of Onkaparinga in October 2020, with the $2.6 million upgrade to see a major overhaul of the park’s wetlands and open space.
Funded by the Hickinbotham Group and DEW, council has accepted responsibility for the park upgrade’s ongoing maintenance.
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, the state government’s SCAP granted development approval to the Hickinbotham Group’s proposal to divide land on Commercial Road.
The Council was aggrieved by the SCAP’s decision to approve the development because it was Council’s view the application had not followed appropriate processes, including the need for public notification.
In early 2019, the Council commenced judicial review proceedings in the Supreme Court of South Australia against SCAP and Hickinbotham Group, in which it challenged 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.
As a result of the mediation process, Hickinbotham Group lodged a variation application with the SCAP on 22 December 2020.
The SCAP approved the variation application on 14 April 2021. To view a copy of the plan that received development approval by the SCAP and subsequent engineering approval for Stage 1 from Council, click here(PDF, 679KB).
Due to Council’s actions in 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
- removes residential allotments from the north-western corner of the development to preserve views of the recreation park.
As a result of these changes being made, the legal proceedings initiated by Council were then discontinued.
Stage one of the development was released for sale in January 2022, 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 masterplanned 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 not-for-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:
Upon completion of the social housing product, responsibility for the allocation of tenants is transferred to the relevant organisation, which is based on the organisation’s waiting list and selection process.