PREMIER Peter Malinauskas’ announcement of the Concordia land release was inevitable.
Sooner or later, that development was going to be given the nod of approval to proceed, that much has been known.
Social media and chat forums have been on fire, with plenty of discussion between the land release, which also included parcels at Dry Creek, Hackham and Sellicks Beach, and the resurgence of urban sprawl in this state.
Previous Labor leader and former premier Jay Weatherill favoured urban infill rather than urban sprawl, and that has been successful to varying degrees.
Suburbs like Bowden have been totally transformed thanks to infill development, breathing new life into an otherwise underutilised part of the metropolitan area.
But those types of developments only really work when they are close to the CBD. Nobody wants to live in a dog box out in the suburbs.
The reality is that housing is needed, and areas like Concordia can help alleviate the pressure on a market that shows no signs of easing in the short term.
It is an area roughly the same size as Gawler, right next door to the township.
That might make some people uneasy, and there’s strong arguments as to why that may be the case.
But, as mentioned, that development is inevitable.
What’s clear, though, is that the area needs to be done right, and it needs to be done right from the start.
This is an opportunity to give the greater Gawler area an overhaul.
Major investment is needed to cope with the added pressure that will come with an additional 10,000 homes.
Big projects like creating a northeastern bypass to the Sturt Hwy, or extending the Gawler line to Concordia, or further extensions to the Gawler Health Service need to be put on the agenda.
But these things also need to happen before those first housing foundations are laid.
The last thing that needs to happen is State Government and council’s chasing their tail to stem the bleeding.
Curtis Rd in neighbouring Playford is a prime example of the impact rapid development can have on under prepared infrastructure.
Let’s get ahead of the curve now.
