July has been an exciting month for both the Commission and the Department with South Australia’s new planning and development system made operational in the outback. I would like to thank everyone involved in delivering this major milestone under the Planning, Development and Infrastructure Act 2016 (PDI Act).

Not only is the new Planning and Design Code now in effect across 70% of the state's land mass, but so too are the supporting Development Assessment Regulations. This means the cornerstone of our new planning and development system, the Code, now replaces all existing Development Plans that relate to land outside of council boundaries.

My video this month highlights the key features of the Outback Code including how clear buffer distances have now been mapped around key transport routes, airstrips, railway crossings, rivers and lakes, as well as how new policy will lessen the risk of bushfire impacts on development to name but a few of the benefits.

And what better way to celebrate than to receive our first development application under the new system within 24hrs of going live! It truly is an exciting time as we enter the final stretch of this four year transformation program.

Michael Lennon
Chair, State Planning Commission

I would also like to acknowledge the fantastic achievement of the Planning Reform team in meeting our 1 July milestone of turning on the Outback Code and the DA Regulations. Congratulation to all involved. For those of you in the outback, or elsewhere for that matter, I encourage you read about the Code and what it means for you on the SA Planning Portal.

Seeing it’s the end of the financial year, this achievement got me thinking about the incredible amount of progress we have made during the past 12 months. So in addition to bringing the first phase of South Australia’s new Planning and Design Code into effect, my video this month covers some of our other important achievements, as well as an update on the remaining elements of the new planning system being delivered by July 2020.

Sally Smith
Executive Director, Team PLUS

Credit: Angorichina Station

We are pleased to announce Planning, Development and Infrastructure (General) (Development Assessment) Variation Regulations 2019 are now operational in the outback areas of South Australia. These regulations set out the new development assessment framework under the PDI Act.

The regulations establish a development assessment scheme where:

• simple and expected proposals will no longer require an assessment
• assessment timeframes are tailored to an application’s complexity to move developments through the system efficiently, but provide longer time where required
• there is longer time for neighbours to respond to publicly notified development in their neighbourhoods, providing greater opportunity to engage with more complex planning proposals.

We have released a suite of material to help both practitioners and the community to understand the key changes and what it means for them on the SA Planning Portal. Visit the Assessment Pathways page for more details.

The Accredited Professionals Scheme has been operational since 1 April 2019, with the public Accredited Professionals Register now available on the SA Planning Portal.

Establishing an online register of accredited professionals is an important step towards greater reliability, flexibility and accountability of decision-makers in the planning system, while also giving applicants and the community greater confidence in the way development is assessed.

The Register makes it easier for practitioners, applicants and the community to access up-to-date information on accredited planning and building decision-makers. This includes their qualifications, skills and experience, and areas of expertise.

Accredited professionals can be found by searching for a Private Certifier (currently accredited under the Development Act 1993), or an Accredited Professional (accredited under the Planning, Development and Infrastructure Act 2016). The Register also includes professionals operating under transitional arrangements.

Did you know that our population between 65-80 years will increase by 40%, and that people aged over 80 will increase by 120% over the next 20 years?

These are just two amazing statistics that can be found in DPTI’s latest population projections for the period 2016-41. Every five years, DPTI prepares population projections for the State. These projections help to estimate the size, age structure and distribution of South Australia’s population in the future. This information is fundamental for planning for growth and linking urban, transport and infrastructure planning. High, medium and low series of projections are now available on the SA Planning Portal.

A new key project of the State Planning Commission is the development of a Metropolitan Growth Management program (MGM). The MGM will utilise population projections, land consumption trends and infrastructure capacity to provide a 10 year program that identifies:

• projected development demand (greenfield, minor infill, major infill)
• the development supply options
• the infrastructure capacity of regions
• the need for new growth precincts.

The program is informed by the Regional Plan (30 Year Plan for Greater Adelaide - 2017 Update) and will in turn help to guide amendments to the Planning and Design Code.

Land and development opportunities available in the right place and at the right time provide certainty to the property industry, stabilise land markets and support population growth.

The first stage of the MGM will be to undertake a Southern Pilot in partnership with the City of Onkaparinga, which will help inform future stages of the MGM for metropolitan Adelaide.

Credit: South Australian Tourism Commission

Late last year the State Planning Commission released a Productive Economy Policy Discussion Paper which was designed to stimulate thought on the policy direction for land use in the Planning and Design Code.

Engagement was undertaken between 28 November 2018 and 22 February 2019, supported by a “YourSAy” site which provided an opportunity for respondents to provide their feedback on the key issues raised in the paper. 64 written submissions were received during the consultation period.

A What We Have Heard Report is now available on the SA Planning Portal that summarises the written responses received by the Commission from numerous stakeholders, including local councils, industry professionals, the community and other key stakeholders.

The Minister for Planning Stephan Knoll has approved 31 grants for the 2018/19 grant round, totalling $13.29 million. These grants, to be funded through the Planning and Development Fund, will support a range of local government projects, including the revitalisation of reserves, redevelopment of main-street and town centre precincts, and development of safe shared use trails for local communities.

The grants will help make Adelaide greener, preserve open space and build local community infrastructure such as shared use paths, pedestrian thoroughfares and public precincts.

Read more about how we are opening up space for a greener Adelaide.

Credit: PIA

Have you ever wondered how our cities and towns evolve to meet the changing needs of our communities?

On 14 June the state’s professional planners gathered to attend the Planning Institute of Australia (PIA) South Australian Conference to discuss this important topic with an opening address by State Planning Commission member Allan Holmes and DPTI's Executive Director Sally Smith. As part of their presentation which focused on reform progress and key areas for future planning policy improvement, DPTI planners featured in a series of short videos that considered ‘What is Planning?’ and ‘Why will our new planning system make our state more liveable?’