May 2021

Message from the Chair of the State Planning Commission

Welcome to the May edition of Planning Ahead.

The State Planning Commission has two significant projects currently underway – the Environmental Food Production Area (EFPA) Review and a Planning and Design Code Amendment of the Bushfire Hazards Overlay.

The EFPA is required to be reviewed by the Commission every 5 years. The first stage of this review is to determine if there is sufficient land supply in Greater Adelaide and/or if any changes to the EFPA boundary are required. These findings will be published in a Review Report later this month and made available on the PlanSA portal. These results will also determine the next steps to be undertaken as part of the review and any public consultation requirements. I look forward to providing you with further updates on the EFPA review in our coming newsletters.

The State Planning Commission has also initiated the preparation of a Bushfire Hazards Overlay Code Amendment. The principal aim of the Amendment is to update the spatial application of the Bushfire Hazards Overlays across the State (including refinement to the boundaries of the high, medium, general and urban interface areas, as part of an updated spatial layer in the South Australian Planning and Property Atlas (SAPPA)). Public consultation on this Code Amendment is anticipated in the middle of the year.

You may have read the Conservation Council's recent action plan on Protecting Adelaide’s Tree Canopy. The Commission recognise the importance and significant health and well-being benefits associated with trees and the importance of retaining them where possible to mitigate heat, provide shade and shelter, habitat and other environmental benefits, and generally enhance amenity. We are committed to reducing the loss of trees through the development and implementation of appropriate planning policies that balance the needs of the community along with the needs of development across our state.

Finally, it was great to get outside of the Adelaide CBD recently with the first of our regional visits to Mount Barker Council. The Commission intends to continue to hold regional meetings throughout the year with the next one being planned for Port Augusta to coincide with an opportunity to visit new and proposed renewable energy developments in the north-west of our state.

Helen Dyer
Chair, State Planning Commission

Message from the Executive Director

The planning system continues to transform the way South Australia’s community, councils and developers interact with the state government for the purposes of land use planning and development. With the delivery of the planning reform program now complete, we have been working to realign our business structure and priorities to meet our future needs. More recently, a new PlanSA Directorate has been established to provide strategic and operational support to the ePlanning system.

Our planning system is of great significance for both our State and Australia. It has profoundly changed our approach to delivering quality development and infrastructure now and into the future. Emerging technologies like ePlanning and digital architecture are transforming the processes and efficiencies that drive planning, design and development, and positive outcomes to citizens.

Last month, I was invited to virtually showcase the ePlanning system at the Public Sector Network on Digital Architecture and ePlanning to an audience across Australia and New Zealand. In the video, I talk about the process and key milestones of our four-year planning reform journey. I invite you to view the video, which includes a few insights that I wish we knew when we started the program.

We welcome our stakeholders to actively participate and have their say in the first Code Amendment process that is currently underway. For the first time, all Code Amendments will need to be lodged online via the PlanSA portal. Stakeholders can access the Code Amendment Toolkit, a comprehensive resource that provides guidance and information on all stages of the process, including the online lodgement process.

I would like to thank everyone who contributed their ideas and feedback on improving the planning system, your engagement is integral to the sustained enhancements and improvements we are making to the Code and the ePlanning system.

Starting this month, the PlanSA Service Desk will share the trending topics and resources on the planning system, which have been curated based on enquiries and interactions from our customers and stakeholders. We encourage you to keep us informed on how we can help you better familiarise with the system and hope you find the updates helpful.

Sally Smith
Executive Director, Team PLUS

Learn how to plan and request an amendment to the Code

On 16 April 2021, the State Planning Commission (the Commission) released the Planning and Design Code Amendment Toolkit (the toolkit), which is now accessible via the PlanSA portal.

The toolkit is designed to assist councils, planning practitioners and industry in understanding how to initiate and lead amendments to the Planning and Design Code (the Code).

The toolkit acts as a vital channel in supporting the Commission to make sure the Code is maintained, keeps up with the changing needs of our community, reflects contemporary values relevant to planning, and responds readily to emerging trends or issues.

The Planning, Development and Infrastructure Act 2016 allows Code Amendments to be led by a range of different stakeholders, from local councils and State Government Agencies to Joint Planning Boards, essential infrastructure providers as well as private parties with an interest in land.

For the first time, all Code Amendments must be lodged online through the PlanSA portal.

The toolkit supports the online lodgement process by providing detailed information on all stages of the Code Amendment process with easy to follow instructions, templates and online forms. The toolkit will continue to be updated and refined on an ongoing basis.

New Heritage Standards published for Colonel Light Gardens

Colonel Light Gardens Model Suburb sales brochure 1921, courtesy of Architecture Museum, University of South Australia

New Heritage Standards for Colonel Light Gardens have been published by Heritage South Australia (Heritage SA). The final Heritage Standards (Colonel Light Gardens State Heritage Area) reflect their new statutory role in the planning system and will be used by Heritage SA in assessing and providing direction on future developments referred to the Minister.

Heritage SA operates as the delegate for the Minister responsible for the administration of the Heritage Places Act 1993.

Colonel Light Gardens is a designated State Heritage Area and holds the honour of being recognised as Australia's most complete example of an early 1920s garden suburb.

In light of the introduction of a new planning system for South Australia and stronger protection of heritage, Heritage South Australia (Heritage SA) reviewed and updated the existing heritage guidelines for development in Colonel Light Gardens to ensure they remained fit for purpose, aligned with the Planning and Design Code and included the area’s Statement of Heritage Significance.

The draft heritage guidelines were released for public consultation from 11 December 2020 to 1 February 2021. In response to extensive feedback from key stakeholders and the community, the guidelines were further revised to:

better reflect the history of the suburb and the Garden City Concept and principles
clarify the elements of heritage significance and the purpose of the document as a guide for Heritage SA’s decisions on developments
clarify the acceptable standards for development, including non-residential and public realm development
remove any duplication, align terminology and add helpful illustrations.

Download more information about the consultation process and the Engagement Report.

For further information about development in the Colonel Light Gardens State Heritage Area visit Heritage SA's State Heritage Areas website.

Changes made: PDI (Swimming Pool Safety) Regulations 2019

Following consultation with councils and industry, changes have been made to the Planning, Development and Infrastructure Act Swimming Pool Regulations 2019 (the regulations) to re-enable the use of temporary fencing during construction for a period of up to two months, after which point the final required safety features must be installed.

The regulations also now allow for temporary fencing to be used during times of maintenance and repair. The updated regulations are available at www.legislation.sa.gov.au. Further information about swimming pool inspections and a pool safety checklist is available on the PlanSA portal.

PlanSA: trending topics and resources

This month, we highlight the top three enquiries raised with our PlanSA Service Desk on the new planning system and the resources to help address them.

Submitting an Application – secure approvals for a proposed development by submitting a development application and track the applications progress online.
Sharing Applications – (a) Sharing access to an application – Access to applications can be shared with nominated contacts to provide specific input or carry out pre-determined actions as part of the application process; (b) Taking control of a shared application – applicants can email listed contacts on a development application with instructions on how to take control of an application submitted by the applicant.
Uploading documents – users can successfully upload documents to the relevant sections within the system quickly and easily throughout the development application process.

For more resources on specific tasks or actions related to the planning system, please visit the Support Library on the PlanSA portal.

Timeframe extended on HomeBuilder scheme assessments

On 6 May 2021, the South Australian Government extended the time frame within which applications under the streamlined HomeBuilder assessment provisions can be made from 30 June 2021 to 30 September 2022.

It must be noted that only persons who sought the HomeBuilder Grant on or before 14 April 2021 are eligible to use these streamlined assessment provisions.

The extension will assist in getting over the current wave of applications without overburdening the planning system, as well as provide time for the development sector to adjust to the new planning system.

After 30 September 2022, the streamlined HomeBuilder provisions will cease operation.

For more information visit the PlanSA portal.