IT is no secret that the northern suburbs of Adelaide are rapidly changing.
Ever-growing population rates in the state mean that people need to go somewhere and with the CBD and inner suburbs already flush with townhouses and subdivisions, the vast expanses of the northern suburbs are the next logical step.
The City of Playford has had the ball rolling for some time, with the Riverlea development one of many new areas popping up across the council district.
The sheer population mass set to move into the area in the coming decades boggles the mind, but it does not stop in suburbia.
Towns previously considered to be reasonably regional are also having to adapt, with the need for housing and facilities too big to ignore.
Two Wells is a prime example, with a $150 million redevelopment of the town’s centre set to re-shape the identity of the area.
Lyndoch is getting ready to host an AFL fixture of all things, with plenty of funds set to boost the event-hosting capabilities of the small town.
This week’s edition of The Bunyip details plans for a brand-spanking new accommodation option at Sandy Creek, as well as all the fallout from the State Budget including plans for a new northern school in a mystery location, at least for now.
The Gawler population remains seemingly steadfast in its want to remain as regional a town as possible, but the move towards traditional suburbia looms as inevitable.
It is important to note that with these mass changes comes great responsibility for local councils, with plenty of pressure set to fall on their shoulders.
Recently, ratepayer groups have spat chips at the potential of larger-than-usual rate rises as part of the string of council budget announcements in the past few months.
While that is their right and their vocality and passion is to be commended, there will be few ways councils can avoid a price hike with the amount of infrastructure that will need paying for in the decades to come to accommodate for the influx of residents.
More people does not just mean more houses. It means more schools, more play areas, more road usage, more medical facilities and more of just about everything for society to roll on.
