Housing and industry development for Kangaroo Island

A perfect storm of global and local issues has created significant housing and rental shortages, with Kangaroo Island being hit particularly hard. During 2022, market pressures lead to a lack of affordable houses to purchase and short supply of rental stock. This was exacerbated on Kangaroo Island by the 2020 bushfires which destroyed 119 houses and impacted the capacity of businesses to employ staff due to a lack of housing for workers.

In response, RDA Adelaide Hills Fleurieu and Kangaroo Island (RDA AHFKI) are supporting several housing projects to boost local housing stock, and provide short and long-term solutions to the lack of affordable housing.

RDA AHFKI sourced local intelligence on the housing issue and commissioned the KI Housing Study, which then led to a housing round table discussion.

As the region’s lead economic development agency RDA AHFKI:

• Identified and quantified the problem
• Used an ideation model to unpack the problem
• Consulted with relevant stakeholders including local government and state government ministers, departments and agencies
• Developed a win-win solution for all stakeholders
• Achieved commitment from stakeholders through to implementation.

The successful outcomes included:

• Identification and acquisition of a parcel of suitably zoned land for development
• Commitment from a developer to develop the site
• Commitment from the Government of South Australia to provide a grant to support connecting infrastructure for the development
• Direct capital investment to develop 56 housing allotments worth $10.5 million
• Support for capital investment of $118 million in two large industry investments
• Support for 115 direct jobs.

Learn more: Regional Housing | RDA Adelaide Hills, Fleurieu and Kangaroo Island (rdahc.com.au)