More than one thousand new homes – incorporating at least 20 per cent affordable housing – will be built at Thebarton, with the Malinauskas Labor Government acquiring the former West End Brewery site.
The State Government have reached an agreement to purchase the 8.4-hectare Thebarton site from Lion Beer Wine & Spirits Pty Ltd (Lion) for $61.5 million and will now masterplan the site before working with the private development sector to deliver on that vision.
Renewal SA will commence detailed master-planning early next year with civil works to follow. Construction is set to start in 2025, with dwellings available for sale that same year and first residents moving in by 2027.
Adoption of a government-led delivery model will provide widespread opportunities for private sector participation at various stages including throughout planning, design, civil works and building and construction activities.
Renewal SA leading the project will ensure much-needed community outcomes – such as the speedy delivery of more affordable housing – are prioritised over profit.
The planned mixed-used precinct will prioritise housing, with opportunities for significant commercial, hospitality, retail and Government tenancies building a vibrant new community and daytime economy.
Thorough consideration will also be given to preserve and highlight the site’s historic structures, including:
*Walkerville Brewhouse (including Copper Kettle, currently in storage).
*Footings of Colonel William Light’s Cottage
*Riverbank Garden
The masterplan will also feature the brewery’s former Electricity Transformer building and the plaque depicting the site of Colonel Light’s cottage (currently in storage), which are Local Heritage Places.
The much-loved Riverbank Christmas Lights Display, on the south bank of the River Torrens, will also be retained. The event, which continues to attract approximately 300,000 visitors annually, is currently under the custodianship of the City of West Torrens – with that arrangement expected to continue.
The project – which will attract around $1 billion in construction and development value – is estimated to create 4000 full-time equivalent jobs during construction, peaking at 1200 per year, plus around 187 new ongoing retail jobs once complete.
Located just 2km from the CBD and 7km from Adelaide Airport, the site boasts a highly visible 250-metre frontage to arterial Port Road, and has convenient access to multiple public transport options, the city’s major hospitals and universities, parklands and recreational venues such as Adelaide Entertainment Centre and Coopers Stadium.
Detailed master-planning will inform the final land use mix and configuration of the new community, along with feedback from stakeholder and community consultation.
This project is in addition to the Malinauskas Government’s A Better Housing Future plan, which includes:
*Fast tracking the single largest release of residential land in the state’s history;
*Strengthening renters’ rights including banning no cause evictions and rent bidding, extending minimum notice periods, allowing pets in rentals, raising bond thresholds, and expanding the Private Rental Assistance Scheme;
*Fast tracking approvals for new homes in key areas;
*Delivering the first substantial increase to public housing in a generation – building an additional 564 public homes and stopping the sale of 580 others;
*Developing the former Adelaide Bus Station site on Franklin Street to deliver more than 130 social and affordable apartments;
*Delivering new housing developments for key workers in regional South Australia through a new Office for Regional Housing in Renewal SA, and
*Preparing a new 2 per cent deposit home loan through HomeStart for first home buyers building a new home.
The West End Brewery closed in June 2021, marking the end of 135 years of brewing operations on the famed site. Beer was first brewed there in 1886 as the Torrenside Brewery.
As put by Peter Malinauskas
The State Government is serious about delivering more housing for South Australians and the former West End Brewery site represents an incredible opportunity to develop a prime site near the city.
Importantly, the State Government masterplanning this site ensures the community’s needs will be prioritised,while also providing lucrative opportunities for local workers and businesses.
Everyone deserves a place to call home and this development will make that dream a reality for thousands of South Australians.
As put by Nick Champion
It is almost unheard of to get an infill site of this scale in any capital city, so we seized the opportunity.
We will draw inspiration from other high-quality urban infill projects like Bowden.
It is our intention to create a world-class precinct – one which is a catalyst for further local investment, and drives housing affordability.
As put by Renewal SA chief executive Chris Menz
We will be looking to leverage the resources and expertise of the private sector including development partners, investors, designers, consultants, and builders, to deliver this world-class vision.
We’ll be looking for the best of local and interstate experience and investment and it’s my firm view that great outcomes are achieved when government and private sector work hand-in-hand.
West End Brewery Site – Historic Timeline
*1830s: Colonel Light builds Thebarton cottage
*1840s: Suburban farming subdivisions and industrial expansion
*1870s: Suburban densification
*1886: Original Torrenside Brewery founded
*1886: Walkerville Brewhouse Tower built
*1939: Colonel William Light’s cottage is destroyed by fire
*1949: Rebadged Southwark Brewery
*1980: Site undergoes a major redevelopment following the closure of the original Hindley Street brewing premises and is rebadged West End.
*2015: New brewhouse officially opened
*2021: West End Brewery closes
*2022-2023: Site cleared, and the remains of Colonel Light’s Cottage uncovered and documented by archaeologists
*2022: Land put up for sale by Lion
*September 2023: Malinauskas Labor Government named preferred proponents to develop the site.
