The state government has passed legislation to unlock the potential to develop tens of thousands of new homes across the state, including 7,000 in Victor Harbor and Goolwa.

It says Variations to Environment and Food Production Areas (EFPA) to align with the recently released Greater Adelaide Regional Plan (GARP) will help South Australia meet both current and future housing demand while maintaining the integrity of South Australia’s most productive agricultural areas.

The variations will allow for the potential to accommodate approximately 61,500 new dwellings in greenfield land supply in various areas north and south of Adelaide as well as in Murray Bridge.

The changes are an amendment to the Planning, Development and Infrastructure Act 2016. When this legislation was drafted and the EFPAs created, the government’s priority was for 85 per cent of growth to occur through infill development, which is inconsistent with its current objectives.

It says the revision of the EFPA will still ensure that the key agricultural lands surrounding Greater Adelaide are protected, with the variations representing a loss of less than one per cent of agricultural lands in Greater Adelaide.

Since the 2022 election the state government has approved and implemented 41 code amendments and rezoned almost 530 hectares of land.

Under the new legislation, it says land removed from the EFPA will be subject to a Limited Land Division Overlay, preventing unplanned fragmentation and ensuring rezoning occurs in a staged, infrastructure-ready manner.

The State Planning Commission will continue to review EFPA boundaries every five years, ensuring ongoing protection for areas of rural, environmental, and food production significance while supporting sustainable urban growth.

Minister for Housing and Urban Development Nick Champion says this reform ensures the land and the infrastructure will be in place to deliver the homes South Australians will need for generations to come.

“More homes mean more jobs, stronger communities and a more inclusive economy.”

CEO of Master Builders SA Will Frogley says massively increasing land supply is the best way to ensure housing affordability.  

“Today is a significant boost in confidence for home buyers and the more than 80,000 South Australians directly employed in the building industry.”

Liam Golding is Chief Executive of the Urban Development Institute of Australia SA. He says since the Environment and Food Production Areas were legislated land release has been constrained and housing affordability has plummeted.

“The UDIA has been consistent in its opposition to the EFPAs since they were first announced – we always said the artificial constraint on land supply would hurt purchasers and we were right. Today is a great day for home buyers.”

The change in legislation is opposed by Primary Producers SA, Chair Simon Maddocks saying it represents a threat to food security, economic growth, local jobs, prized tourism areas and the state’s global reputation as a premium producer of food and wine.

“If food production were valued in the same way as protecting live music venues, the erosion of EFPA protections would be unthinkable.

“Instead, it appears to be yet another signal that farming’s role in our state’s identity is being systematically diminished.

“Our concerns are not just with this expansion of paving over scarce arable land. It is also about the growing competition for water resources – essential for both agriculture and the environment – amid increasing pressures from population growth.”