An Adelaide development has set the standard for how former Defence and law enforcement assets can be transformed into innovative housing projects – and it’s picked up a major national award in the process.
Fort Largs was this week named Australia’s project of the year and received the award for excellence in the masterplanned communities category at the national Urban Development Institute of Australia Awards.
The awards recognised the Peet project at Taperoo for “delivering a model that balances heritage preservation with place creation and new high quality housing supply”.
Fort Largs project. Picture: Supplied by Peet
The project turned a derelict 141-year-old state-heritage former police academy into a residential community of more than 200 homes built around a community precinct including
cafes, public areas and event spaces.
As part of the development, the site’s historic fort was also opened to the community for the first time.
Peet South Australia state manager Mark Devine said the project should stand as an example of how other spaces could be repurposed.
“We’re delighted that Fort Largs has been recognised as a model for development excellence at the national level,” he said.
The Fort Largs development has been reimagined.
“Through close partnerships and creative thinking, Fort Largs proves development excellence can protect special places and deliver the housing supply our cities urgently need.”
The win comes as cities across Australia consider how to both protect places of significant cultural and historical importance and deliver new housing in a timely fashion.
Fort Largs has a rich history – a history Peet invested $4.5m towards the heritage conservation of.
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It was originally built as a coastal defence site in the 1880s, and was later the base for the Women’s Royal Australian Army Corps before becoming the South Australian Police Academy.
They relocated in 2012, and the site sat vacant until Peet bought it in 2020.
In that time, property prices in the area have increased by 62 per cent.
“This award shows when you invest in the heritage that makes a place special, people want to be part of it,” Mr Devine said.
The fort has been opened to the public for the first time in history. Picture: Supplied by Peet
It comes as the federal government’s plan to sell off surplus Defence land prompts states to assess whether former military sites could help ease the housing crunch.
Australia’s housing supply could be bolstered by land once reserved for national defence, as the federal government begins selling off dozens of surplus Defence sites.
Following a Defence Strategic Review that identified a total of 68 sites for divestment, the Albanese government has confirmed it will fully divest 64 Defence sites, partially divest three and retain one site in full.
The review found many sites were costly to maintain, under-utilised or no longer aligned with modern Defence needs, prompting what the government has described as the “most significant reform to the Defence estate in Australia’s history”.
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Deputy prime minister and defence minister Richard Marles said reform was long overdue.
“In order for the Australian Defence Force to protect our nation and keep Australians safe, it must have a Defence estate that meets its operational and capability needs,” Mr Marles said.
“For many years this has not been the case, with many Defence sites vacant, decaying, under-utilised and costing millions of dollars to maintain. That is why the Albanese Government is undertaking the most significant reform to the Defence estate in Australia’s history.”
Many of the sites sit on large parcels of land – often within or nearby established suburbs – and the planned divestment is prompting state governments to assess whether former military land could be repurposed for much‑needed housing.
Following the federal announcement, South Australia was the first state to confirm it would investigate the potential acquisition of Defence land at four locations across metropolitan Adelaide, with an eye for housing.
Independent Adelaide Hills MP Rebekha Sharkie says her community wants clarity about the future of the Woodside Barracks. Picture: Supplied.
The Woodside Barracks in the Adelaide Hills is set to be sold. Picture: Supplied
These are Woodside Barracks (145ha), Warradale Barracks (23ha), Hampstead Barracks (7ha) and Edinburgh Parks (7ha)
Any remaining Defence personnel would be consolidated into the Edinburgh Defence Precinct.
SA housing minister Nick Champion said similar redevelopments on former industrial land had demonstrated how housing supply could be delivered more efficiently.
“Take Southwark Grounds for example. That is now lauded as one of the nation’s most exciting urban development projects, with homes already taking shape,” he said.
“There is no doubt these four sites present an incredible opportunity for thoughtful development for residential and employment projects.”
- with Vivien Topalovic
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