Image: Campbelltown City Council
Adelaide’s eastern suburbs are set to welcome a major transformation, with Renewal SA and Campbelltown City Council revealing new plans for a mixed-use neighbourhood at the former Magill University campus.
Located only nine kilometres from the city, the 14.62-hectare site surrounding St Bernard’s Road is set to become a new community, with housing, aged care, retirement living, and extensive public open space.
The ambitious proposal focuses on preserving the area’s natural beauty while creating a neighbourhood designed for the future.
Central to the vision is a commitment to greenery, with significant protection for the existing tree canopy and the biodiverse Third Creek corridor. With more than 60 per cent of the main western parcel remaining dedicated to open space, sport, and community facilities, it’s a development that clearly understands one important Adelaide truth, we really, really like our trees.
The heritage-listed Murray House will also be retained and celebrated as a key part of the site’s future, while the existing Children’s Centre will remain under a long-term lease.
The redevelopment will be delivered in two stages, beginning with the three-hectare eastern parcel, where construction is expected to start no later than 2027.
This first stage will include up to 100 new homes, with at least 20 per cent allocated as affordable housing through HomeSeeker SA. Aged care and retirement living will also be a major component, alongside green space and a 30 per cent tree canopy target. Importantly, all development will be designed to complement the surrounding neighbourhood.
The much bigger 11-hectare western parcel won’t begin until at least 2033 due to Adelaide University’s ongoing lease. Plans include upgraded sporting and recreational facilities, additional aged care and retirement living, enhanced public access to Third Creek, and carefully managed building heights capped at five storeys.
The intention is for new buildings to sit comfortably under the existing tree canopy, rather than towering above it. Renewal SA says community feedback has played a central role in shaping the draft structure plan, particularly around protecting Murray House, preserving mature trees, and maintaining the creek corridor.
The next phase of consultation is now officially underway, giving locals another opportunity to have their say. Community engagement runs from April 27th to June 22nd, with feedback available online through the YourSAy website.
A community drop-in session will also be held on-site on May 9th from 11am to 3:30pm at the Student Lounge cafeteria, with bookings recommended.
With housing demand continuing to rise across Adelaide, particularly for older South Australians, the Magill redevelopment is a huge opportunity to deliver much-needed homes while protecting the character and environmental assets locals value most.
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