Villawood Properties will officially bring its 1500-lot Oakden Rise community to market this weekend after being inundated with requests to purchase at the resort-style development in Adelaide’s inner north-east, just 9km from the city.
Three hundred homebuyers registered their interest for the estate’s first 24 lots within just three minutes of them being released to market in late September.
Saturday’s grand opening of Oakden Rise will launch the project’s impressive new Sales and Experience Centre, with lot releases to follow on Sunday to cater for the project’s powerful demand.
Dubbed the ‘New Place to Be’, Oakden Rise will revolve around a residents’ club – complete with gym, pool, parents’ lounge, function space, café/restaurant and sports court – designed to foster meaningful connections amongst residents and deliver a genuine sense of community.
The development will deliver an elevated community-focused agenda to South Australia, including:
- 25% affordable housing
- 20% green open space, parks and playgrounds
- $20,000 rebates on purchases for frontline care workers
- Increased tree canopy of 10%
- An average of 320 FTE jobs a year during early phases of construction, climbing to 400 FTE jobs by 2024-25
- Commitment to a 7-star energy rating for all dwellings
- Dozens of school work experience placements during construction
- Landscaped spaces celebrating the site’s history
- Walking and cycling linkages to key amenities
- A Village Centre with grocery store, child-care and health/wellness services.
Render is courtesy of Villawood and is for illustrative purposes only
These key benefits, set by Renewal SA in conjunction with Villawood as part of its Development Agreement for the Oakden site, are further bolstered by a major biodiversity initiative led by Villawood, which will see an area the equivalent size of the Oakden Rise development retained as conservation land on the Yorke Peninsula.
Minister for Housing and Urban Development Nick Champion said the initiatives built into the Oakden Rise development went over and above the industry standard.
“South Australians are looking for more than just a block of land. They want their home to be in an area that reflects their values and what’s important to them,” Minister Champion said.
“By delivering a project that is proactively protecting things like tree canopy and open space and recognising frontline workers for their selfless contribution, this is instilling a sense of community and belonging right from the outset.
“Oakden will also take some of the heat out of the red-hot real estate market, which is crucial during a time of short supply. In addition, it is expected to contribute in the order of $460 million in economic activity during its construction.”
Render is courtesy of Villawood and is for illustrative purposes only
The 52 hectare master-planned community will cater for a range of lifestyles, from higher density apartment living in its Village Centre through to traditional one, two and three-storey homes, in what is one of the last large-scale infill development opportunities in metropolitan Adelaide.
“The resort-inspired lifestyle we will be delivering is an entirely new concept in South Australia,” Villawood CEO Alan Miller said.
“We planned from the outset to nurture a genuine sense of community – a place where people will know their neighbours - so the club will be constructed during the initial stages of development to cement those community connections early.
“We also have a focus on sustainability and open spaces. Oakden Rise will be a vibrant and engaging community.”
Mr Miller said research had found care workers were often less likely to be able to afford to access the property market due to lower wages and salaries, prompting Villawood to pilot a Care Worker Support Program offering $20,000 rebates to eligible workers. It has since rolled out the rebate scheme in several of its projects, successfully allowing more than 150 care workers to become home owners.
“As well as helping these vital workers – nurses, paramedics, teachers, emergency services, personal carers and more – it enhances the caring human capital of Villawood communities,” Mr Miller said.
Render is courtesy of Villawood and is for illustrative purposes only
Bordered by Fosters, Grand Junction and Sudholz roads, the Oakden Rise development will be defined by its connection to open space, parklands and playgrounds. Walking trails will be set amongst established trees, while substantial new landscaped plantings will border meandering paths that connect the residential neighbourhood. All open space will be irrigated by recycled water.
Demolition began on the site in August, with construction of the first Oakden Rise homes scheduled to commence July 2023.
Oakden Rise is one of five new or proposed Villawood developments in South Australia. The award-winning property developer is consistently lauded for its creativity, innovation and contribution to the industry and the community, and has developed Australia’s most water-and energy sustainable community, Aquarevo, in Melbourne.