Rezoning headlines council’s housing plans

Wattle Range Council is applying to rezone 10 parcels of land around the townships of Millicent, Penola, Beachport and Glencoe with consultation opening in the coming months on the proposed major rezoning application.

Council has grouped all 10 potential rezonings into the one code amendment application to streamline the process and provide greater transparency for the community with the areas under consideration having been identified in the Council’s 25 Year Strategic Land Use Plan to accommodate housing and employment growth, as the population surges in nearby major centres, Mount Gambier and Robe.

If approved, the rezoning would facilitate a wider range of housing including rural living opportunities, as well as accommodation and employment uses on strategic sites located close to town centres.

Member for Mackillop Nick McBride has been a vocal advocate for increasing and improving the housing supply in the region which is a powerful economic stimulator for the State.

“I have been working with all tiers of government to seek solutions to the housing shortage that exists across my electorate,” the independent MP said. “I am pleased the Wattle Range Council is taking a proactive approach by seeking to open up land for development.

“A shortage of affordable housing has significant personal, financial and economic impacts. It affects the way businesses can operate and makes it difficult to attract workers across vital sectors including agriculture and food processing.

“I encourage the community to provide their feedback on the proposed rezoning option and hope that it leads to a positive outcome.”

The South Australian Government has an emphasis on streamlining the code amendment process for both metropolitan and regional South Australia as part of the A Better Housing Future initiative.

Through the plan, the Government has implemented significant reforms to release record amounts of land, cut taxes for home buyers, turnaround the long-term decline in public housing, streamline planning approvals, and reform the rental market to deliver new benefits to tenants.

The application commits to protecting the productive farming land in the area and also providing accommodation to reinforce the region as a strong tourism destination.

The code amendment proposal will soon proceed to the consultation phase, with the council to undertake further investigations with input from the local community later this year.

Wattle Range Council CEO Ben Gower (pictured) said council would like to hear from its communities once again to ensure there are no surprises before the rezoning plans are implemented. Further consultation sessions will be occurring in the middle of this year.