Five major developments have been approved across Adelaide in a single day, paving the way for around 1,400 new residential and student apartments and more than 1,600 beds.
The State Commission Assessment Panel (SCAP) has given the green light to projects spanning the Adelaide CBD, North Adelaide and Glenelg, including a new 36-storey tower, the conversion of an existing city office building and an expanded beachfront hotel.
The biggest of the approvals is at 101 Grenfell Street and 47 Wyatt Street, where a 36-level purpose-built student accommodation tower is planned. The development will include 858 beds across 724 units, alongside communal facilities and an outdoor terrace, and is set to become one of Adelaide’s taller buildings.
Nearby, another major transformation is planned for 77 Grenfell Street.
The existing 22-storey office building will be converted into student accommodation, creating 508 beds across 429 units. Ground-floor retail and communal spaces are also included in the plans.
A third CBD development at 11 Sultram Place has also been approved, with a 22-storey mixed-use tower to deliver 219 apartments above a ground-floor commercial tenancy.
More than 200 secure bicycle parks and communal areas for residents are included in the development.
North Adelaide will also gain additional student accommodation, with St Ann’s College approved to expand onto Melbourne Street.
A new four-level building will contain 33 student rooms, a staff residence and communal facilities, while plans will retain a significant Lemon-scented Gum already on the site.
Down at Glenelg, previously approved plans for a hotel development on Moseley Street have been amended to allow another four levels, taking the proposed building to 14 storeys. The project incorporates the heritage-listed Alexandra Terrace and will now feature additional hotel rooms, an expanded wellness area and a rooftop bar, terrace and swimming pool.
Planning Minister Nick Champion described five major approvals in one day as “remarkable”, saying the State Government viewed the decisions as an indication of continued development investment in South Australia.
He also pointed to the additional purpose-built student accommodation as a way of reducing some student demand for homes in the broader private rental market.
Property Council of Australia SA Executive Director Bruce Djite welcomed the decisions, saying early engagement through the government’s pre-lodgement process had helped applicants work through the planning system.
The five developments were all assessed by SCAP, which operates independently in determining development applications where the State Planning Commission is the relevant planning authority.
