Sellicks Beach Growth Area Joint Amendment Submission

Proposal for a Resilient Future

We present an evidence-based plan for the wider region of the Willunga Basin and Fleurieu Peninsula that addresses the existential threats to South Australia of biodiversity loss and climate change, protects our agricultural industries and addresses the housing crisis.

The extinction crisis is the biggest threat to the future of South Australia. The predicted collapse of the environment in 50-80 years time will devastate our agricultural industries, threaten our food security and is irreversible. The evidence for species loss and the threat posed by ecosystem collapse is overwhelming and addressing it must be a priority for all governments. 

Biodiversity loss and the extinction crisis are driven by a lack of resources because of centuries of clearing habitat for our cities and farms. Biodiversity loss is commonly confounded with climate change but the key driver of biodiversity loss is the historic clearance of more than 90% of habitat across the arable regions of Australia. Solving climate change won’t change this.

As a significant measure to reverse biodiversity loss in the Mount Lofty Ranges region, SWWAN proposes that the South Australian Government partner with community and stakeholders over the next decade to create the Willunga Basin Coast Conservation Park as part of a larger program over the next two decades to Rewild the Fleurieu and reverse the extinction crisis.

We strongly urge the state government to undertake this project for the benefit of all South Australians.

Read SWWANS “Proposal For a Resilient Future” submission to the GREATER ADELAIDE REGIONAL PLAN REVIEW 2023 here.

Inadequate Urban Canopy Cover

SWWAN have found that Urban Canopy Cover Targets set by most of the councils of Greater Adelaide for the last 5 years have been set too low. This will result in a lack of adequate canopy coverage in the future to protect communities from heat related health deaths and illness associated with increased urban heat brought about by climate change.

The councils with the lowest targets are:

City of Onkaparinga 15% by 2045

City of West Torrens 15% by 2045

City of Port Adelaide Enfield 16% by 2045

City of Holdfast Bay 16.8% by 2030

We are advocating to the Premier and Government to address this immediately.

The impact of short term housing on rental vacancy rates

More than two thirds of vacant housing in Greater Adelaide are reserved for holidays not homes.

We have a rental crisis not a housing crisis

Across Adelaide Airbnb vacancies represent 69% of vacant housing and in Aldinga the figure is 91%. Fortunately, a shift in only a small number of short term rentals to long term would significantly change the vacancy rate. Read our paper here.

SWWAN acknowledges Aboriginal people as the First Peoples and Nations of the lands and waters we live and work upon and we pay our respects to their Elders past, present and emerging. We acknowledge and respect their cultural heritage, spiritual connection, and relationship with the land. We acknowledge that they are of continuing importance to the First Peoples of South Australia living today.