As part of the growing prosperity objective of South Australia’s Strategic Plan, the Government has set a target to increase the population of the State from 1.5 million to 2 million people by 2050.

The SA Government is committed to promoting the prosperity of the State through strategies to drive economic development and population growth.

In early 2004, it unveiled a strategic plan for the future of South Australia, with a goal of increasing the population by 500,000 people by 2050.

In developing this plan, the Government recognised the need to address issues relating to water and additional pressures the growing population would have on supplies, including in metropolitan Adelaide.

Meeting the challenge:

Reports, progress and links:

Planning SA is working with other Government and non-government stakeholders on a project that will lead to the ‘institutionalisation’ of water sensitive urban development throughout the Greater Adelaide area. The design of future development will need to be ‘water sensitive’ in both terms of water usage and limiting the impacts on downstream areas, for example by better management of stormwater. A draft WSUD framework, with targets for water conservation and water quality is being developed together with supporting technical guides. This will assist in preparing a WSUD Better Development Plan (BDP) policy module.

A sustainability-rating tool has also been developed with Land Management Corporation, SA Water and the Department of Transport Energy and Infrastructure’s Energy Division, to addresses sustainable energy and water use in the new Lochiel Park land division. The Lochiel Park plan incorporates a range of innovative water saving and water substitution systems which will reduce the use of water at the development by almost 80 percent compared to a more conventional development.

Other initiatives already in place that contribute to making homes more water efficient include the plumbed rainwater tank policy, the introduction of the Water Efficiency Labelling Scheme into SA, and a range of rebates offered through SA Water’s HOME rebate scheme, including rebates for washing machines, low flow showers, and plumbed in rainwater tanks.