Council was presented with a report detailing the findings of an employment land study at its meeting on 23 August 2022, which informed a decision on whether to initiate an amendment to the Strategic Employment Zone in a section of Melrose Park.

This decision is a continuation of Council’s work to deliver its Spatial Vision for land use in the City, which was developed over a two-year period and endorsed in February 2019. This Spatial Vision identified employment land in the southern half of Melrose Park as an area with opportunities for significant change, however further work was needed to better understand what this meant and the role of Council moving forward.

Having now completed its investigations, Council has documented its firm support for the existing Strategic Employment Zone at Melrose Park, and as such has resolved not to initiate an amendment to the Planning and Design Code. Work to inform this decision has included an Employment Land Study by SGS Planning & Economics, who previously partnered with the state government on its land supply report for the whole of Metropolitan Adelaide. This Study concludes that:

• there is an opportunity for the Melrose Park investigations area to play an important role in supporting future growth in health and medical industry and high-tech sectors in particular;
• Adelaide’s inner southern and eastern suburbs have relatively poor access to employment land, and to population serving uses in particular;
• the retention of existing employment land in the Melrose Park investigations area represents an opportunity to support regional liveability; and
• small area employment projections clearly set out the potential to grow employment in the Melrose Park investigations area should sufficient opportunities for expansion of floor space be supported.

Key documents associated with this work can be accessed via the links below.

Council Report - Melrose Park Employment Land Investigations - 23 August 2022

Melrose Park Employment Land Study

If you have any question about information on this page, please contact us on 8372 8888 or email mitcham@mitchamcouncil.sa.gov.au with ‘Melrose Park Employment Land Investigations’ written in the subject line