Playford Health Precinct - Development Plan Amendment (DPA)

Council wants to encourage the continued development of health and health related services around the Lyell McEwin Hospital and create the potential for greater health sector related education and employment opportunities for local and regional residents.

Health precincts and innovation districts in other cities (including Adelaide’s own North Terrace Biomedical Precinct and the Flinders Medical Centre and Tonsley Innovation District) have seen the establishment of an ‘ecosystem’ of businesses and services which include education providers, research facilities and a range of related services and amenities. This leads to greater local opportunities for student pathways and employment across both health and related services.

Suburban Activity Node zoning aims to encourage walkable concentrations of residential, service and business activities, which gather near to public transportation, walking and cycling friendly routes. This aims to encourage physical exercise, reduce vehicle usage and resulting greenhouse gas emissions.

The Playford Health Precinct is a geographical area that includes both the Lyell McEwin Hospital and a number of specific areas immediately surrounding the hospital where further health-related developments are being encouraged.

The rezoning of land changes the types of development that can be approved. Current zoning mainly allows residential development such as housing. The proposed new zone allows a mix of development, for example, commercial development such as consulting rooms and offices or medium density housing.

There may be interest from developers or their agents in purchasing land if your land is within the rezoned area. Council will not be involved in purchasing any of the rezoned land.

No. There is no requirement to move out or to sell to a developer. Land owners can keep an existing dwelling as long as they wish. Land and property owners may of course choose to sell their property to a prospective purchaser if they wish.

Council will be looking for opportunities to establish development which provides community benefit and helps to maximise the potential of the health precinct. This may include health education and research facilities and other health related activity. For example, the ACH Group has already purchased property from Council at the corner of Mark Road and Oldham Road and is preparing to commence construction of a health and wellbeing development in late 2019.

The new zoning called Suburban Activity Node zoning is a type of council zoning suited to precinct developments such as the Playford Health Precinct. It encourages more intensive types of urban development that help to link residential, services and retail activity located within walking distance of transit stops and other focal points. This zone already covers the hospital shopping centre, the site to be developed by ACH and some land along Oldham Road. This rezoning will further expand the zone.

A joint master planning process conducted between SA Health and Council in 2011 identified this area for potential future expansion of the hospital itself. Because there are no immediate proposals to expand the hospital into the area at this point, the existing residential zoning is to be left as it is.

There is no plan to remove trees at the Mark Road properties at this time. Should the properties be sold or developed in the future, the potential replacement or offset of lost trees would be a matter for consideration at the time of sale. In general, Council seeks where possible to balance any loss of tree canopy and flora with equivalent re-plantings.