South Australian property mogul and developer, Theo Maras, has called for the state government “to set out a new vision for future development across Adelaide.”
In an opinion piece for The Advertiser, Mr Maras criticises the lack of a “clear planning vision” for Adelaide since 2017, when the government updated its ’30-Year Plan for Greater Adelaide’ to respond to population growth and high-density development.
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“We are told the state is committed to a more compact urban form and managing growth within our existing footprint. In simple terms, an ambition that would see Adelaide grow up rather than out,” Mr Maras writes.
“Yet this appears to merely pay lip service to seriously planning for Adelaide’s future.”
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Mr Maras gave a number of examples of where development has already gone wrong in the capital city, including “the parochial, emotional debate about the Riverbank precinct.”
“We are told the Riverbank precinct is an integral part of Adelaide’s identity. Yet a range of proposed zoning-and-policy changes are being considered in isolation to a holistic plan,” he writes.
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“Even as a developer, I believe our unique Adelaide parklands must stay sacrosanct. It is an invaluable public asset, like Central Park in New York or Hyde Park in London.”
To break this negative development cycle, Mr Maras suggested a “holistic planning review” is needed “that starts with industry and better defines our economic hubs, including in the regions.”
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“Now is the time for the government to step up and map out SA’s future. We are already Australia’s most liveable city. Let’s make SA the nation’s best-planned state,” he concludes.
Source: The Advertiser.
