New data to help local councils plan for future housing needs

LGA South Australia has partnered with PointData on an initiative that will help councils pinpoint where housing growth is most likely to occur in their suburbs or regions – and start planning accordingly.

By understanding where infill development is both possible and likely, councils can better plan infrastructure, services and develop fit-for-purpose policies to meet the needs of their residents and align their actions with South Australia’s set housing targets.

LGA South Australia President, Mayor Heather Holmes-Ross said the data will give councils guidance on how they can plan for initiatives or developments to help deliver the state government’s housing targets.

"This project is about giving councils another tool to assist with preparing their local housing strategies and making decisions about housing and future growth in their communities,” Mayor Holmes-Ross said.

"Local government plays a central role in local planning and has a close understanding of community needs, infrastructure, growth opportunities and unique challenges.

“Projects like this support councils to do that job well, by providing consistent, evidence-based insights that they can build on through housing strategies and engagement with their communities.

"This kind of targeted investment in data reflects the growing complexity of local planning and the need for councils to have access to high-quality information.

“It’s about supporting better long-term decisions for South Australian communities when it comes to housing and planning for our future."

The project, to be launched at the end of July, will deliver two key outputs to participating councils:

• Theoretical Development Potential – identifies all residential properties in relevant zones that could be subdivided under current Planning and Design Code rules.
• Market Realistic Development Potential – uses economic modelling to predict which of these properties are most likely to be developed based on factors like return on investment and land value.

These insights are generated using PointData’s Urban Policy Model.

The model provides councils with a consistent and evidence-based snapshot of potential infill housing supply.

This information, which is already being used by South Australian and Victorian state governments, can help councils:

• understand the capacity for housing growth in neighbourhood zones
• support the development of housing strategies
• complement other work such as population forecasts and dwelling projections.

While the model offers important baseline data, it doesn’t include areas like urban corridors or greenfield developments, nor does it prescribe planning actions.

Councils remain responsible for interpreting the data and planning next steps.

Ahead of the project launch, LGA will host a webinar with councils introducing them to the tool. Tailored reports will then be provided to councils in August.

This project is one of several initiatives funded through the Local Government Research and Development Scheme, which supports sector-wide innovation.