SA Opposition casts doubt on freeing up land for housing despite support

ABC NEWS (Australia)

The State Government says it will introduce legislation to Parliament this week to free up land previously reserved for the environment and agriculture for housing. The opposition says it will support the bill but wants to see some amendments.

Transcript

00:00Gathering at today's opening of the state's new $88 million sports institute, hundreds

00:08came to get a glimpse into the state-of-the-art athletic facilities, and of Premier Peter

00:13Malinowskis.

00:14But while sport has been in the limelight this weekend, the Premier says housing is

00:20still at the top of the government's agenda.

00:23This week we'll be introducing our legislation to amend the urban growth boundary that will

00:28facilitate more housing growth in our state over the medium and long term.

00:32The government's proposing to free up farming land to allow for 61,000 new dwellings across

00:38Roseworthy, Two Wells, Murray Bridge, Victor Harbour and Goolwer.

00:43Members of the construction industry say it's a step in the right direction.

00:47Fully support that.

00:48That's giving South Australians other options for where they might want to live.

00:52The only way we can improve housing affordability in this state is to seriously increase supply.

00:57The opposition says it will support the bill, but it wants to make some changes to which

01:01land will be released.

01:03Some of the areas where Labor's got it wrong, the area north of Goolwer doesn't make sense

01:07from our point of view and so we've provided alternatives and a net increase overall for

01:13that area.

01:14The government says it's carefully considered locations based on critical infrastructure

01:18and input from industries and communities.

01:22The Greater Adelaide Regional Plan has been the most comprehensive piece of public policy

01:27work around land supply that we've seen in decades in this state.

01:31The main pushback has so far been from farming and livestock groups who say productive cropping

01:36land is essential for food security.

01:39But the government and the construction sector say the proposal takes a balanced approach.

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