Demolition derby for Adelaide’s heritage

The State Government’s new Planning and Design Code reduces and undermines the planning policies and rules that have protected our built heritage for more than 40 years, paving the way for a demolition and development free-for-all in our most historic areas.

All buildings with a heritage designation — whether as state or local heritage, contributory items or part of an historic conservation zone — will now have less protection from demolition and there will be less regulation of what can replace them. The result will be a significant loss of historic buildings across the state and with them, the distinctive features and amenities that define many of our most loved and valued residential areas.

Norwood is one of the areas most likely to be impacted by the changes. It has a high number of properties that previously enjoyed robust local heritage protections under the former

Development Act. Many of the demolition controls and building design standards for this area have been relaxed or removed under the new Planning and Design Code, despite strong public objections to changes which were inadequately consulted upon and which still may not be fully understood by the owners of these properties.

The results of these changes will start to play out with new development applications to replace original building stock in historic areas with new builds, through the demolition of existing properties and smaller subdivisions. Original buildings which have not been well maintained will be particularly vulnerable to opportunistic demolitions, steadily eroding the distinctive qualities of our inner metropolitan areas and reducing the amenity of existing residents. Those who have invested in maintaining the original building stock of these areas will find their investment diminished by the growing incursion of less well designed and less well-made infill development.

Residential amenity will be further reduced by changes allowing more commercial developments, such as shops and offices, within established residential areas. Many of these changes have been contested by local councils and community advocates, but with little success as the State Government moves to relax planning standards and remove communities from decision making about new developments.

Much of the extensive work done by local councils in conjunction with their communities, over many years, to develop specific planning policies to protect the historic characteristics of local areas have been discarded under the Planning and Design Code. In their place, more generic policies and standards, lacking in detail and specificity, will put at risk all of the work done over the last 30 years by councils and owners to protect the historic features of our oldest residential areas.

Time will tell, but the losses could be unprecedented as the government’s development free-for-all is unleashed in our most historic areas.