Good Afternoon everyone,

This Saturday, 1 April 2017, marks the start of a brand new era for planning and development in South Australia with the commencement of our new planning system under the Planning, Development and Infrastructure Act 2016 (PDI Act).

On 28 March 2017, His Excellency the Governor in Executive Council proclaimed the initiation of various sections of the PDI Act and the Statutes Amendment (Planning, Development and Infrastructure) Act 2017 which will allow the first elements of the new system to become operational.

The areas of the PDI Act that will commence from 1 April 2017 include:

• objects, principles, and general responsibilities under the Act
• the establishment of the new State Planning Commission
• the framework to develop a new Community Engagement Charter, which will put consultation and participation at the forefront of the planning process
• the establishment of the Minister’s three statutory Advisory Committees to support the implementation of the new system
• the commencement of basic Infrastructure Scheme provisions and pilot general scheme provisions to provide new tools that ensure new infrastructure can be funded and delivered in-line with development
• the establishment of the Environment Food Production Areas (EFPAs) to preserve our vital food and agricultural lands and ensure our growth is sustainable and supports better service delivery
• the capacity for multiple councils to establish Joint Planning Agreements; and
• the establishment of the first stage of ePlanning via the SA Planning Portal.

This is a major milestone for the Department of Planning, Transport and Infrastructure (DPTI) who have been working tirelessly for many months now to put the necessary structures are in place to ensure this will be the start of a smooth transition from the current system under the Development Act 1993.

Further information on the new changes, including a complete list of the various sections that have been commenced, can be found on the SA Planning Portal.

Sally Smith
General Manager, Planning and Development Division

Coinciding with the commencement of the PDI Act, DPTI will be partnering with the LGA to conduct a series of Planning Reform Roadshows for Local Government and industry to bring the sector up to speed with where we currently are with regards to implementing the program.

Information about these events, which will be held across the state throughout April and May, will be provided to you shortly.

To support the introduction of the EFPAs, over the next month the Department will be working with local councils to inform more than 3,000 owners of land located in Rural Living Areas of the implications of the new policy which comes into effect this weekend.

Land owners will be sent a letter from the Department next week, which will be followed up by several ‘drop in’ events where locals can come and talk to planners from both State and Local Government to discuss in further detail how the EFPAs affect them.

Further information on EFPAs can be located on the SA Planning Portal.

Last week, DPTI made available a range of roles to support our reform program as well as our ongoing work under the current legislation. If you have experience in planning, community engagement, the development sector or in leading innovation and change we would love to hear from you.

We are looking for people who are keen to join a diverse team environment with the opportunity to get involved in creating and transitioning to a new planning system. DPTI is looking for suitable candidates with relevant demonstrated experience in one or more of the following areas:

• Strategic planning, policy drafting and development assessment
• Leading innovation and change within planning or similar profession
• Driving better integrated planning outcomes within infrastructure projects and strategies
• Community and stakeholder engagement processes

More information can be found on the DPTI website.