Media Release

March 25 2009

UniSA looks to the future of affordable and sustainable housing

Stephen Pullen and Morry Canala Researchers at the University of South Australia are conducting a ground-breaking study that could shape the future of affordable and sustainable housing throughout Australia.

“With South Australia’s population growing, pressure will continue to build on the housing market over the foreseeable future, so we need some innovative solutions to the problems this increased demand will create,” Dr Stephen Pullen, Senior Lecturer at UniSA’s Institute for Sustainable Systems and Technologies said.

“Sustainability has become a byword for environmental considerations, but we’re looking at sustainability in a much broader scope for this study, including financial and cultural factors.

“We need to strike a balance between making housing affordable, for both renters and first time buyers, while providing solutions to problems like access to transport, lifespan of buildings, how they fit in to existing communities and the types of materials used in their construction.

“High rise flats built in the 1960s and 70s are a great example of housing that might have provided an affordable solution, but was starkly at odds with the cultural, environmental and long-term social needs of the community.

“That’s just one of the lessons from around the globe that we’ll be incorporating into this study, others include the work that’s being done in the UK and elsewhere at the moment in providing medium density housing that’s affordable, harmonious with existing developments and with good access to transport hubs and the like,” Dr Pullen said.

“We’ll also be looking at innovative solutions like factory-based housing manufacture and finding ways of making developments environmentally friendly without the traditionally high price tag.”

Jointly funded by Department for Families and Communities, through Housing SA’s Affordable Housing Innovations Fund and the Hindmarsh Group of Companies, the study, known as Ecocents Living, is the first of its kind in South Australia to focus on market-driven solutions to sustainable housing.

“Sustainable housing is something that will become very significant for private enterprise in the near future and Hindmarsh is very keen to see what the best market-based solutions will be here in South Australia and beyond,” Morry Canala, Development Manager Hindmarsh said.

“That’s why we’re pleased to be working with the team at UniSA on this incredibly important project, it’s an investment in the future of South Australia’s affordable housing as well as our extensive knowledge base.”

The study is scheduled for completion in September.