South Australia

FOLLOWING the decision of former Minister for Urban Development Paul Holloway to step down from his ministerial responsibilities, South Australian Premier Mike Rann this week announced a new cabinet line-up.

New Deputy Premier John Rau, who will continue as Attorney-General and Minister for Justice and Tourism, also gains the responsibilities of Urban Development, Planning and the City of Adelaide and the new role of Minister for Food Marketing.

SOUTH Australian Minister for Urban Development and Planning, Paul Holloway, last week announced that the government has revoked the major project declaration for the Myponga/Sellicks Hill Wind Farm after the proponent failed to meet a deadline to commence construction.

TrustPower had declined to proceed with the wind farm as approved in November 2003, comprising twenty wind turbines measuring 100 metres in height, despite being given a deadline of September 2010 to begin substantial construction work.

ACTING Minister for Urban Development and Planning, Jack Snelling, last week announced that the government has approved the rezoning of land at Buckland Park, in Adelaide's north.

The rezoning of the land, comprising an area of 1,340 hectares, will allow for residential development, including community facilities and employment lands. The land was identified for urban growth in The 30-Year Plan for Greater Adelaide.

FEDERAL Infrastructure Minister Anthony Albanese yesterday announced the approval of Adelaide Airport's proposal to construct a new multi-level car park, pedestrian plaza and associated road works.

The $85 million development will cater for up to 2,000 cars and a new pedestrian plaza will provide a link for pedestrians with the main terminal complex.

Premier Mike Rann today launched the final 30-Year Plan for Greater Adelaide that puts the building blocks in place for economic growth and prosperity for the next three decades.

"The 30-Year Plan for Greater Adelaide is the most comprehensive planning strategy ever adopted by a State Government," Mr Rann says.

"This plan prepares us to maximise the opportunities provided to our State from the estimated growth in population during the next three decades.

"This isn't a Plan that will sit on a shelf gathering dust. This is a living and breathing document that provides the catalyst for energising developments that will make Adelaide one of the world's great liveable, competitive and climate resilient cities.

The South Australian Government on Wednesday announced plans to duplicate and "end the farcical one-way regime of the Southern Expressway" to enable traffic to flow both ways. 

The $445 million project will duplicate the Southern Expressway and include a new interchange at Darlington.

Construction is due to begin at the end of next year and expected to be completed in mid-2014.

The 20 kilometre road was opened in 2001 and allows commuters to travel from the city's southern suburbs in the morning. The direction is reversed in the afternoon to allow traffic to flow from the city to the south.

SA Premier Mike Rann criticised the Southern Expressway  as a "perfect example of an 'interim measure' that was badly planned, poorly designed and hugely expensive to fix," adding that "duplication of this expressway was an inevitable project that this Government has brought forward so that we can integrate our transport infrastructure, without wasting millions on interim measures."

BENDIGO and Adelaide Bank last week received development approval for a $105 million 10-storey green-star office building on Hindmarsh Square.

The building, designed by Hassell, was approved by the State Government's Development Assessment Commission last Thursday.

Bendigo and Adelaide Bank project director Stella Thredgold said that while internal approval is still pending, the development approval was a major milestone for the company. A final decision on the construction of the new headquarters should be made by the end of March, with the building expected to be completed by 2012.

When complete, the new building will consolidate the company's three separate Adelaide offices and be home to 900 employees.