Angle Vale is set to benefit significantly from the implementation of a new Infrastructure Scheme designed to revitalise the stalled housing developments in the area. The South Australian Government announced this major initiative as part of a broader strategy to address critical infrastructural deficits that have impeded residential construction.
Previously, the property development framework in Angle Vale required the negotiation of multiple infrastructure deeds. These deeds were agreements between individual landowners, the City of Playford, and the State Government to ensure the provision of essential services such as roads, street lighting, and stormwater facilities. However, the stakeholders involved have failed to reach a consensus on funding arrangements, leaving vital public infrastructure works in limbo.
Compounding the situation, the initial deeds established in 2011 have become financially inadequate over the years, primarily due to the rising costs associated with infrastructure and construction. This past approach also involved an complex process where any attempts to increase the funding above the rate of indexation required unanimous consent from all property owners, a scenario that often proved difficult to manage.
To navigate these issues, the proposed Infrastructure Scheme aims to bring together all relevant parties under a unified agreement. This Scheme will be managed by a coordinator tasked with the oversight of infrastructure development. The core idea is to streamline the process, enabling a more coordinated and efficiently timed delivery of essential services.
In detailing the plan, Nick Champion, Minister for Housing and Urban Development, highlighted the urgency and the government’s proactive stance. “We have houses at Angle Vale waiting to be built but there’s no action because there’s not enough money to deliver the civil infrastructure and all parties are at an impasse,” Champion said. He added, “The numerous developers and the council can’t agree on a way forward, so the Government will intervene.”
Further aiding this initiative, Champion noted that the government intends to roll out new state-wide engineering and design standards as part of its Housing Roadmap. These standards will aim to reduce both the cost and time required to develop civil infrastructure for residential projects, particularly those in greenfield areas.
The investigative phase of the Infrastructure Scheme will explore diverse inputs from multiple perspectives, including those from landholders, developers, and local councils, alongside contributions from SA Water and the Department for Infrastructure and Transport. “An Infrastructure Scheme will ensure this essential work is delivered in a coordinated and timely manner,” Champion said.
Expected to span three to six months, the investigative phase will assess how the costs associated with new infrastructure can be appropriately distributed among landholders, the council, and other asset owners. The outcome will provide a framework that ensures all infrastructure projects are fully scoped, costed, timed, and financed before commencement.
This move by the government will potentially set a precedent for addressing similar developmental challenges across other regions of South Australia.
