Learning from Hamilton Hill: Why Woodforde Residents Association Stands with Magill Matters
The Woodforde Residents Association has watched how the Hamilton Hill development has unfolded in our community. What began as a promising vision has become a cautionary tale of what happens when community input is sidelined and flaws in our planning regulations are exposed.
As the University of South Australia's Magill Campus faces redevelopment, we stand with Magill Matters in advocating for meaningful community engagement. Our experience with Hamilton Hill has taught us hard lessons that we hope can prevent similar issues impacting our neighbours and broader community.
The Promise and the Reality
In 2016 the vision of Hamilton Hill spoke of preserving the green hills face character of the foothills, a modest number of 288 dwellings was proposed and would integrate sensitively with the existing neighbourhood, and attractive community amenities including a pool and café that would bring residents together.
What transpired 10 years later is a development that has grown far beyond initial expectations, with dwelling numbers exceeding original projections to 440. What was meant to enhance our community has placed a strain on it.
Planning Challenges from the Outset
We want to acknowledge that our Hamilton Hill residents are happy with their homes and the beautiful foothills location. What we want to draw attention to is how the development has highlighted important planning challenges that impact both new and established residents of Woodforde:
Road infrastructure concerns: Some streets within Hamilton Hill have proven narrower than ideal for the traffic volumes, yet they meet our current planning regulations. We are now trying to work with Council on solutions for this, however the narrow streets are all above board. Meanwhile we all feel the frustration of added traffic to Glen Stuart Road. The absence of a planned slip road has created congestion issues that affect the whole area. This is an issue that could have been resolved from the outset.
Parking pressures: Like many new developments, the balance between off-street parking provision and actual need has been difficult, leading to increased demand for on-street parking that impacts residents across Woodforde. The state government agreed to a shortfall of 26 resident car parking spaces, there will be sufficient parking available within the immediate local street network to account for both the shortfall and visitor parking. With the growth in residences and inadequate on-site parking availability, the actual number has far exceeded this assumption.
Infrastructure capacity: The rapid growth has placed additional pressure on existing sewerage and water systems, highlighting the importance of infrastructure planning that anticipates development scale.
These challenges do not reflect on individual homeowners or diminish the positive aspects of the area. Rather, they illustrate how planning decisions at the development approval stage can have lasting impacts on entire communities – lessons that are valuable as we consider future large-scale developments like the Magill Campus.
The Development Experience
As construction progressed, issues multiplied. Houses on Kintyre Road were oriented in ways that departed from original plans. The changes approved by Planning SA were never communicated to the community.
Meanwhile, the construction process itself became a burden on the entire community, with ongoing problems including:
Building dust and mud tracked onto public roads
Concrete spillage and rubbish management failures
Regular breaches of building regulations regarding permitted work days and site management
Damage to roads and surrounding infrastructure
Waste from construction sites not being adequately managed or enforced by the Council
Perhaps most disappointingly, community areas and grounds require additional maintenance and remediation, creating ongoing costs for Adelaide Hills Council – costs ultimately borne by ratepayers across the Council’s area.
Community Voices Ignored
The Hamilton Hill experience has been marked by a troubling pattern of dismissing community input. Despite residents raising concerns through proper channels, we have faced:
Poor adherence to community preferences expressed during consultation processes
Changes to agreed plans without informing or consulting the community
Inadequate planning for integration between older Woodforde and the new development, with no genuine effort to create shared facilities and spaces that would bring residents together
Regulatory Failure
One of the most frustrating aspects of the Hamilton Hill development has been the failure of both state and local government to protect community interests.
State government regulations simply do not meet community expectations. Development has proceeded with limited community oversight or input.
Woodforde Residents Association met with Hon Nick Champion, Minister Housing and Urban Development, Housing Infrastructure and Planning, on 3rd December 2024. The purpose was to discuss the issues faced by our community. In spite of a clear agenda after three months of prompting, he ignored all issues and requests for assistance, and directed us to manage further concerns through Adelaide Hills Council.
We have also seen local government left largely powerless. Despite the best efforts of our council, they have limited authority to manage developers effectively, and the state government has provided neither adequate support nor resources to ensure compliance with regulations.
A significant percentage of Hamilton Hill properties have been purchased by investors, and many of these properties suffer from poor maintenance or sit unoccupied. These unresolved issues are undermining the appearance and functionality of what should be a quality new development.
The Hamilton Hill Legacy
The location in the foothills is undeniably beautiful, and residents of Hamilton Hill are genuinely happy with their homes and the area. However, significant problems persist:
Inadequate parking remains a daily frustration
Property maintenance issues create ongoing concerns
Community amenities, lighting, and grounds require extensive maintenance and remediation
Traffic on surrounding roads has increased substantially
Public transport remains inadequate for the population density
Why This Matters for Magill
The Woodforde Residents Association is sharing our experience not to oppose development – we recognise that growth and change are inevitable and can bring benefits to our community. Rather, we are speaking up because we believe development can and should be better.
We advocate for:
Genuine community engagement strategies where residents' voices are heard and respected, not merely consulted as a tick-box exercise
Clear, community-centric regulations that developers must meet, with meaningful consequences for non-compliance
Sustainable, innovative development driven by quality, environmental responsibility, and long-term community wellbeing rather than short-term profit maximisation
Careful control of investor access to new developments to maximise opportunities for affordable home ownership and ensure properties are occupied and maintained
Adequate infrastructure planning that ensures roads, services, parking, and public transport can genuinely support new development
Robust enforcement of building standards, construction site management, and developer commitments, backed by state government support for local councils
Thoughtful integration of new and existing communities through shared spaces, facilities, and genuine planning for social connection
Standing Together
The redevelopment of the University of South Australia's Magill Campus represents an enormous opportunity – but also a significant risk. Done well, it could enhance our area, provide quality housing, and strengthen our communities. Done poorly, it could repeat and amplify all the problems we have experienced.
This is why the Woodforde Residents Association stands with Magill Matters. We know what happens when community input is treated as an inconvenience rather than an essential guide. We understand the long-term costs of prioritising developer profits over community needs.
The people of Magill and the broader eastern suburbs deserve better than what we have experienced. They deserve development that enhances their community with voices being heard and respected throughout the planning and development process.
We urge all community members to support Magill Matters in their efforts to ensure the Magill Campus redevelopment serves the community's interests. We encourage state and local government to learn from the Hamilton Hill experience and implement stronger protections for communities facing major development.
The stakes are too high, and the consequences too long-lasting, to simply hope for the best.