ApartmentsChris ThomsonThu 21 May 26
SA Brewery Site Supercharged for 1700 Urban Infill Homes
Redevelopment of the 8.4ha West End Brewery site on the western doorstep of Adelaide’s CBD has been supercharged, with 400 extra homes now allowed, bumping yield to 1700.
Government land development agency Renewal SA has received approval to build apartment towers up to 14 storeys in areas of its brewery redevelopment project at Southwark, which is bordered by the River Torrens to the north and Port Road to the east.
Renewal SA acting chief executive Shane Wingard said that since the project (dubbed Southwark Grounds) was launched in 2025, more than 12,000 sales enquiries had been received.
“By going higher across some parts of Southwark Grounds, we are adding a substantial number of very well-located homes with little impact on project delivery time or planned open space,” Wingard said.
“The strong early interest we’ve seen since homes were first released in the precinct reinforces our plans to create more housing opportunities.”
Approval of a code amendment launched in December has allowed the maximum building heights to rise from eight to 14 storeys on the eastern section of Southwark Grounds, and to 12 storeys across the remainder of the site.
Taking advantage of the amendment, Samaras Constructions and Developments’ project beside Southwark Grounds’ future Colonel Light Park will now deliver 125 apartments across 11 storeys, significantly more than the 50 apartments across four storeys it had originally planned.
Most of the apartments at Southwark Grounds will be delivered within a masterplanned precinct on a large parcel of land on the eastern portion of the site, covering about two-thirds of its 8.4 hectares.
Affordable homes will also see a net increase, with Renewal SA maintaining its commitment to a minimum of 20 per cent affordable housing across the development.
Wingard said Renewal SA would keep its promise of dedicating more than 15 per cent of Southwark Grounds to public open space.
“This becomes even more important as density increases,” he said.
SA planning minister Nick Champion said that amidst the national housing crisis, the state needed to “come up with bold, ambitious solutions to increase housing supply”.
“That means building up in the right locations—close to the city, close to transport and close to jobs—and making a real and lasting impact on the housing challenge facing South Australia,” he said.
“Southwark Grounds is one of the greatest urban renewal opportunities this state has ever seen.
“We are not going to squander it.”
Renewal SA anticipates the 1700 homes will be built over the next decade.
