Inside the technology helping SA councils unlock housing opportunities
Through a partnership between LGA South Australia and property analytics company PointData, 48 metropolitan and regional councils now have access to sophisticated data to better understand housing capacity and plan for future growth.
The technology, known as the Urban Policy Model, analyses extensive property, planning and economic data to give councils a more detailed picture of development opportunities across their communities.
Delivered in partnership with the Department of Housing and Urban Development, the project has established a consistent, shared evidence base to support Local Area Plans and broader strategic planning across South Australia.
The Urban Policy Model helps councils understand:
- where additional housing could be accommodated under existing planning controls
- the potential number and types of dwellings that could be developed
- which development opportunities are more likely to be economically viable
- how housing growth could be distributed across different areas.
Importantly, the data is helping councils consider how future housing can be accommodated alongside the infrastructure, open space, transport connections and community services needed to create thriving neighbourhoods.
The project, funded through LGA South Australia’s Local Government Research and Development Scheme, has already delivered significant benefits across the local government sector, including:
- 84 per cent council satisfaction
- approximately $1.3 million in sector-wide cost savings
- improved planning capability and evidence-based decision-making
- a consistent, scalable dataset to support long-term strategic planning.
LGA CEO Victoria MacKirdy said innovative technology was giving councils better tools to understand housing opportunities and plan for the needs of growing communities.
"South Australia needs more homes, but getting the right housing in the right places requires good planning and a clear understanding of what is possible," Ms MacKirdy said.
"Enhanced data and artificial intelligence are giving councils access to a level of property and development insight that would have previously taken significant time and resources to produce.
"Rather than relying on estimates, councils can now better understand individual property opportunities, potential housing yields and whether development is economically realistic under existing planning rules.
"This means councils have a stronger evidence base to inform their Local Area Plans, as required by the State Government, and consider how growth can be supported by the infrastructure and services their communities need.”
To find out more visit PointData Urban Policy Model for councils | LGA South Australia
Find out more
For media enquiries, contact media@lga.sa.gov.au or 0476 853 689.