Strath Property Investments Pty Ltd proposes to rezone the whole of the Affected Area from the ‘Hills Neighbourhood Zone’ to the ‘Local Activity Centre Zone’, and proposes new ‘Concept Plan’ to manage the provision of stormwater management and open space, as well as designating vehicular access requirements for future retail and commercial development.
The Affected Area is identified and referenced within the Code Amendment document as being located on land described as Lots 13, 14 & 20 Hampden Way, and Lots 11 & 12 Braemar Drive, Strathalbyn. Overall there are five (5) allotments that comprise the Affected Area, which is located between Hampden Way, Adelaide Road and Braemar Drive.
The Affected Area is a key strategic site in Strathalbyn, however is currently located within the ‘Hills Neighbourhood Zone’, which only allows for low scale residential development and small-scale complementary non-residential uses. Whilst some small-scale non-residential uses are contemplated in the Zone, the development of a ‘shop’ (with a gross leasable floor area greater than 1,000sqm) is significantly limited.
An amendment to the Planning and Design Code is being sought to facilitate a local activity centre that could include future development of a small-scale supermarket, speciality shops, consulting rooms, and personal or domestic service establishments. Replacing the 'Hills Neighbourhood Zone' with a 'Local Activity Centre Zone' is intended to facilitate development to meet the township's growing demand for retail and will focus on providing a convenient and walkable, small-scale centre for local residents and commuters through Strathalbyn.
Several retail assessments of the Strathalbyn township have been conducted on behalf of Strath Property Investments Pty Ltd, and the former Department of Planning, Transport, and Infrastructure. These assessments found that there is an under provision of retail floor space in Strathalbyn, as well as a significant level of escape expenditure, with retail expenditure and associated economic development being diverted to neighbouring Mount Barker.
A retail assessment completed by Deep End Services in 2022 concurred with previous assessments in relation to the undersupply of retail floor space, and highlighted that this undersupply has become more prevalent since the last assessment in 2017. Deep End Services attributed this to Strathalbyn’s steady long term population growth, recent trends in increased regional migration, and there being little to no growth in the provision of new retail floor space within Strathalbyn.
