SA proposes 20-storey apartments for Hindmarsh's Port Road corridor

The South Australian Government opened public consultation on 1 November 2026 on a code amendment that would let apartment buildings rise up to 20 storeys in parts of Hindmarsh, replacing a cap that limits most of the area to two or three storeys today. The Indian Sun reported that the Inner West Code Amendment covers the Port Road corridor, stretching from South Road up to Park Terrace and reaching into the Manton, Holden and Adam Street pocket, with consultation running through PlanSA until 1 February 2027. Nothing is approved. The government will weigh submissions before deciding whether the rezoning proceeds.

Why it matters

Planning Minister Nick Champion said outdated rules had “stifled growth in the inner west by capping building heights at only 2 or 3 storeys,” and that the government wants to unlock the area for more homes for South Australians. Minister Tom Koutsantonis argued greater density in the area’s industrial pockets would let younger residents stay in the suburbs they grew up in, while noting the government wants to limit the impact on existing residents and hear from the community first.

The amendment would not approve any individual tower. Each development inside the rezoned area would still go through the normal planning assessment process, and existing controls on how taller buildings affect neighbouring properties continue to apply, the same framework used in Bowden and Kent Town. A precedent already exists nearby: Southwark Grounds, the former West End Brewery site on Port Road, has approval for buildings up to 14 storeys, and outside the CBD only a small part of the Glenside redevelopment currently carries a 20-storey allowance.

The numbers

Developments of 20 or more homes or residential allotments inside the rezoned area would need to deliver 15% affordable housing. At Southwark Grounds, the amendment would replace per-development parking requirements with consolidated off-street parking across the precinct. The amendment is not a one-way height increase: parts of Henley Beach Road, Marion Road and Brooker Terrace would drop to a three-storey maximum, correcting an earlier zoning error. Consultation runs for three months, from 1 November 2026 to 1 February 2027, with maps and supporting material published on the YourSAy and PlanSA websites and both online and face-to-face information sessions planned.

What’s next

The government reviews submissions after the 1 February 2027 close before deciding whether to proceed with, amend or drop the rezoning. For operators eyeing the Port Road corridor and the Manton, Holden and Adam streets precinct, the amendment signals intent rather than a green light. Any site-specific proposal inside the area would still need its own development approval once the code, if it proceeds, takes effect. The inner west sits inside the strategic infill area identified under the Greater Adelaide Regional Plan, so the direction of travel points toward more density regardless of this amendment’s exact outcome, part of a wider build-up tracked on our Adelaide market page.