It’s also been a big month for DPTI with code drafting workshops commencing, as well as a number of events led by the State Planning Commission around key policy opportunities. Thanks to everyone that has given their time to attend and share your experiences and ideas. To help progress the Planning and Design Code we have released the Code technical discussion paper. This document is intended to help understand the nuts and bolts of the Code and how it will work in an ePlanning platform. Aligned work also continues around performance indicators and the opportunity the new system will give us to holistically and accurately measure how the planning and development system is performing and respond. Work also progresses on definitions to help build the code. Across government, under the leadership of the Commission, we are also preparing the draft State Planning Policies, for consultation in the middle of the year.

The program is gaining some real momentum with lots happening for the rest of the year. Really exciting times.

Sally Smith
General Manager, Planning and Development

The Metropolitan Local Government Group (MLGG), a group of metropolitan Mayors and CEOs, invited me to address them at their meeting on 9 May. I spoke of the role of the Commission and the work program ahead, leading up to the formation of the Planning and Design Code.

The progress towards a Code by 30 June 2020 is continuing with a high level of rigor and commitment. Many resources are being devoted to ensure that at each stage the community is engaged as required by the Community Engagement Charter, so as to maximise community input.

It is important to emphasise again the vital role Local Government has in the implementation of the Code. Local Government has the ears of the Community and the input from each of the 68 Councils in South Australia will be vital in shaping the Code. Regional plans will also be a very important part of the program towards the completed Code.

A series of discussion papers will shortly be released for public comment and will include matters such as transport, the environment, neighbourhoods and the economy.

Tim Anderson QC
Commission Chair

This month, more than 150 people attended three separate workshops conducted by the State Planning Commission at the Office of Design and Architecture. 

Workshop participants, including those in regional SA on livestream, were able to hear from Commission members and DPTI on the planning reform journey, including an overview of the draft State Planning Policies and early insights into the development of the four Planning and Design Code discussion papers on Integrated Movement Systems, Natural Resources and the Environment, People and Neighbourhoods, and the Productive Economy.

Many people took the opportunity to ask questions and provide their thoughts and ideas on what aspects of these policies and papers were most important to them.

“Each session was extremely successful and all the feedback was very positive. There was lots of things that the Commission was able to learn from the workshop input. That input will be used continuously to refine the planning reform process and help us develop the planning policies,” said the Chair of the State Planning Commission, Mr Tim Anderson.

If you were unable to attend, you can watch the livestream presentations here. 

The ‘Planning and Design Code – How will it work?’ technical discussion paper sets out the proposed functional basis for the Code, including what it will and won’t include.

Significantly it describes what the first generation of the Code will look like in 2020, such as how it will be structured, maintained and delivered, and how South Australia’s new online ePlanning solution will transform the way development applications are lodged, assessed and tracked.

We would appreciate your feedback - please have your say before 22 July.

More than 60 professional planners and council strategists came together this month to workshop the scope of the state’s new planning rulebook.

The new Planning and Design Code will consolidate 72 planning rulebooks across South Australia into a single ‘one-stop-shop’ of planning rules and guidelines.

Marcus Rolfe from Urban and Regional Planning Solutions said he was “heartened to hear from other planning and design professionals who have worked interstate with similar rulebooks, and see their enthusiasm for how effective this can be.”

Watch the progress we are making towards producing the draft Planning and Design Code via our latest video, filmed during this first Code development workshop.

The Code working groups will continue these important conversations on Friday 1 June and Friday 6 July. 

How we define the use of land in South Australia plays a vital role in helping to assess developments and is a key part of modernising our planning system for the 21st century.

That’s why we recently initiated a review of land use definitions and classes to support a variety of planning work to happen consistently across the state with efficiency, accuracy and certainty.

Feedback from those who regularly use the planning system has been a valuable part of this review and thanks to everyone who recently contributed their ideas and views. A 'What we have heard' report will be published on the SA Planning Portal.

Based on this feedback, a suite of fresh land use definitions and classes will now be included in the soon to be developed draft planning rules and guidelines for our state – the Planning and Design Code.

More information will be available soon, and we look forward to updating you on ways you will be able to get involved and provide your views.

This year’s Planning Institute of Australia - National Awards for Planning Excellence – took place earlier this month.

South Australia was well represented, with award nominees bringing home our state’s best result at the awards in recent years.

The City of Mount Gambier won the ‘From Plan to Place’ category, for turning disused rail yards into a fantastic multi-functional public space of regional significance.

Adelaide Hills Council was awarded a commendation for their innovation in developing a land division tool that responds to the need to allow infill development in townships while maintaining their unique local character.

City of Adelaide received a commendation for their program to preserve, improve and enhance the heritage fabric of the city.

Brad McCormack was awarded the commendation for National Young Planner of the Year and Sophia MacRae received a commendation for ‘Outstanding Student Project’.

Congratulations and well done to all. Click here for more information on the full list of national winners, commendations and nominees, as well as the judge's comments.

Nick’s contribution to projects in the city and other recently rezoned areas of Adelaide has been significant in achieving approvals that showcase design excellence and subsequently garner community support for the developments.

We wish Nick all the best in his future endeavours, and congratulate him on his upcoming representation of the Tonsley Main Assembly Building project at Venice’s Biennale architecture exhibition.

At the national Building Ministers Forum (BMF) meeting in April, Ministers discussed the report ‘Building Confidence – Improving the effectiveness of compliance and enforcement systems for the building and construction industry across Australia’.

It provides a package of reforms intended to strengthen the effective implementation of Australia’s National Construction Code.

Professor Shergold and Ms Weir were commissioned by the BMF to independently assess the broader compliance and enforcement problems within the building and construction systems across Australia. Read about the BMF Expert Assessment here.

Have your say on the 'Planning and Design Code - How will it work?' technical discussion paper before 22 July. We are keen to hear your comments - please view the technical paper  and have your say.

Check out our latest video on the development of the draft Planning and Design Code. Filmed during the first code workshop in May, the video features some of the professional planners and council strategist who are contributing their invaluable knowledge and expertise.

And, if you missed it, we also recently released our Accredited Professionals Scheme video. Watch it now.

We would love to hear any stories or news you may have in the planning and development space – please submit any news which could be of interest to the Engagement, Education and Communication team.