Cedar Woods heads to Mount Barker for next masterplanned community
The listed developer will turn a 64.6-hectare site at Mount Barker into an 860-dwelling masterplanned community.
Housing developer Cedar Woods has acquired a 64-hectare site in Mount Barker for $50 million, which the company is planning to transform into a masterplanned community.
According to the ASX-listed company, the site, at 106 Harper Road, supports a “large-scale subdivision” of about 860 dwellings.
For Cedar Woods, the development will be its third large-scale South Australian project, alongside its Glenside development and Fletcher’s Slip in Port Adelaide.
“We have seen sustained interest in Cedar Woods’ townhouse and apartment products at our popular Fletcher’s Slip and Glenside projects over many years in South Australia and now we are excited to be expanding our offering and creating a thriving masterplanned community for those who prefer the more traditional land subdivision,” Cedar Woods managing director Nathan Blackburne said.
Speaking to InDaily, Cedar Woods chief operating officer Patrick Archer said the site was a “really attractive piece of land”.
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“It’s got some really nice natural features and we think it’s the right time for us to be involved,” he said.
Archer said the Adelaide market had been steady and reliable, where others around Australia had experienced ups and downs.
“We’ve come to Adelaide at the right time … (Adelaide’s) also a great place to do business. The government’s open and they’re available, and it’s a really good place to get things done,” he said.
Asked how the developer would avoid the infrastructure pitfalls previous developers had fallen into at Mount Barker in the past, such as traffic and transport, Archer said it was an “age old problem”.
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“What comes first: community or infrastructure? Infrastructure usually takes a while to catch up. I think we’re coming in at a time where the problems with infrastructure are starting to be solved or have been solved so we’re happy about that,” he said.
“We’ve toured the area extensively, and we know where the bar sits for some of the really good projects. We want to be up there with those ones.”
Archer hoped the project would also go some way in assisting with housing shortages in SA.
“Nationally we’re well short of the housing accord targets and Adelaide is running at about more than 30 per cent short of targets,” he said.
“There’s a need for housing and it’s up to our industry as developers to lean into that problem.
“What we’re seeing in Adelaide and everywhere else is a shortage of rental properties and when you see things that it’s a sign that the housing delivery system isn’t keeping up. So we’re looking forward to adding another 860 dwellings to help with that.”
The acquisition is expected to settle in February 2026 and make earnings contributions from FY28 or earlier.
