March 2018
Sally Smith Sally Smith

This month sees the return of the PIA State Conference. This is a great opportunity for our sector to come together to share our knowledge and ideas.

In this vein, we are working with a range of stakeholders to build the new professional accreditation scheme. We have been testing different ways to engage as we work through the draft Accreditation Scheme—including live streaming, videos and workshops in the new planning space at Flinders Street. While we had a few teething problems with the live stream on the day, we will iron these out for the next live streaming event. Thanks to everyone for being so understanding.

A video of the accredited professional’s workshop is now available on the SA PlanningPortal, which we hope will help inform your comments on the draft discussion paper. Subject to the government’s endorsement, draft regulations will follow in the middle of the year.

We have also launched updates to the Planning Portal based on your experience as users. Please keep us in the loop about your experience using the Portal. Our aim is to make information easily accessible and up to date. Please let us know if we are not achieving this.

In closing, the State Planning Commission is releasing today the blueprint for the code, which outlines the steps that will get us to a draft code library. 

I hope to see many of you at the PIA conference and other upcoming events.

Sally Smith
General Manager, Planning and Development

Message from the Chair of the State Planning Commission

Tim Anderson Tim Anderson

The State Planning Commission has a new home on the ground floor of 50 Flinders Street. The move from Leigh Street to Flinders Street provides a convenient and customised space for people attending the State Planning Commission, State Commission Assessment Panel and Building Committee meetings.

As part of the due diligence of the Commission, it is undertaking an internal review of the operations of the State Commission Assessment Panel.

The Commission has recently conducted public hearings for local heritage listings proposed by the City of Adelaide. 

Several members of the Commission observed an interesting debate at the UDIA State election lunch on Thursday 22 February.

The Commission had today released the Introductory Paper to the Blueprint of the Planning and Design Code. We hope that this provides you with an overview of how we intend to work collaboratively in the preparation of the new Code.

Tim Anderson QC
Commission Chair

Planning & Design Code Discussion Paper – released today

The State Planning Commission is e pleased to release the Introductory Paper for the Blueprint for South Australia’s Planning and Design Code. This sets the scene for a series of discussion papers and engagement opportunities designed to inform development of the new Planning and Design Code.

The Blueprint for the Planning and Design Code includes:

  • The Policy Discussion Papers – a suite of four papers (Integrated Movements Systems, Natural Resources & Environment, People & Neighbourhoods and Productive Economy) that set out the policy directions for the Code, including where existing policy is likely to transition to the Code or need more significant reform.
  • Policy Conversation Areas – these will form part of the engagement process for the Policy Discussion Papers. They focus on Commission’s priority areas for engagement where a greater level of reform is anticipated (to be included in the first Code or perhaps future generations).
  • The Technical Discussion Papers – describing the functional aspects of the Code, and how it relates to other elements of the system, including the new assessment pathways.

These discussion papers will be released progressively, with each available for public comment and accompanied by opportunities for industry and community engagement.

How you can get involved

We invite you to participate and share your opinions as we shape and progress development of the Code. For further details visit the SA Planning Portal.

Next generation of the SA Planning Portal

The SA Planning Portal - the one stop shop for planning information in South Australia - has relaunched today with an updated look and new features.

Last year our customers from the community, industry and government sectors worked with us to tell us more about their online needs and what they would like to see on the Portal.

New features available now are:

  • Home – a simplified design and menu structure makes sought-after information easier to find
  • Updates – see news articles, newsletters and updates to Portal pages in one place with handy search tools.
  • Resources – access commonly-used planning resources such as Development Plans, planning legislation, planning strategies and maps.
  • Contact – now more easily linking customers with who and what they need.

By 2020, more new features are planned based on customer feedback:

  • an online lodgement and tracking system for all development applications
  • a map-based enquiry system where customers can interactively explore, query and download information
  • a hub of education material about the new planning system including videos and presentations.

We hope you find the new updates and features helpful and if you would like to leave us any feedback please contact us.

Continued partnership with local government

DPTI is continuing to work in partnership with the Local Government Association (LGA) during the implementation of the Planning, Development and Infrastructure Act 2016.

For the next six months, Sarah Elding—Project Lead for State Planning Policies—will be extending her role to act as a dedicated liaison contact to support the LGA with reform matters. Working collaboratively between the two organisations will assist with the change process and create greater efficiencies during the transition period.

Sarah will focus on preparing and delivering key communication strategies. This will ensure Elected Members, Chief Executives, senior managers, authorised officers, and other relevant stakeholders are well informed of all aspects of the reform program, supported during the transition and are also key contributors to the overall implementation of the Act.

Sarah has over 15 years of working in local government in both South Australia and Queensland.

Sarah is taking over the liaison role from Leif Burdon. We welcome Leif back to DPTI and thank him for his valuable work over the past six months.

Shape land use definitions in the Code

The Planning, Development and Infrastructure Act 2016 governs the development and content of the new Planning and Design Code. The Code will include definitions of land use where previously such terminology sat in the Development Regulations 2008. The PDI Act also establishes land use classes within the Code as a new approach to broadening the concept of ‘no change of use’.

As a first step towards developing this Code content, DPTI is seeking feedback from planning practitioners on the current composition of land use definitions to identify and address potential gaps or areas of conflict.

We want to hear from council planning staff and private practitioners who deal with land use definitions on a regular basis through development assessment, policy interpretation and the application of rules and regulations. We will undertake broader consultation with the community on land use definitions and land use classes as the Code develops in accordance with the Community Engagement Charter.

DPTI will explore your feedback and develop a draft schedule of land use definitions for inclusion into the Code. Developing a clear set of definitions will provide a strong foundation for Code writing and include development control policy, pathways for development assessment and other elements such as public notification into the new system with accuracy and certainty.

To get involved in this important element of the Code and for more information on how to comment on land use definitions please visit the SA Planning Portal.

A new home for South Australian planning

                                                                                           Launch of the Kardi Munaintya (Emu Dreaming) meeting room

The launch of the new publicly accessible meeting space on the ground floor of 50 Flinders Street gives DPTI a new venue to host events for our customers.

The Kardi Munaintya (Emu Dreaming) meeting room will be the new home base for our State Planning Commission and the State Commission Assessment Panel meetings.

Outside of these times, DPTI will use the space to promote our projects and display special interest items for public viewing. We will be advertising open times for people to come in and have a chat with our staff about the items on display, discuss their planning questions or find out how they can have a say in our new planning system.

Development assessment in the outback

Covering 84.1% of the state, the Out of Council area encompasses a geographically large but scarcely populated portion of South Australia. The State Commission Assessment Panel (SCAP) is the planning authority for the Out of Councils areas within South Australia, and is responsible for all development decisions that fall into this region.

To assist with these decisions, Brigitte Williams—a third year BA (Urban and Regional Planning) student at UNISA—created a Geospatial Information System (GIS) layer of land use approvals during her DPTI summer vacation placement.

Brigitte reviewed 933 Out of Council development applications dating back to 1982 and built data tables to provide baseline information for the new GIS approvals layer for the DPTI APPIAN electronic applications system.

This information provides valuable state planning data applicable to a range of situations—particularly surrounding compliance and enforcement work, and design of outback communities and townships.

Yunta                                                                                                                    Oodnadatta

Open space grants for Park Lands

Artist's impression of Denise Norton Park/Pardipardinyilla (Park 2)

                                                                                      Artist's impression of Denise Norton Park/Pardipardinyilla (Park 2)

The state government recently approved $14.5 million in 26 local government projects, including completion of works on sections of the Coast Park, improvement to public parks and reserve and revitalisation of public spaces.

The City of Adelaide will also receive $3 million to work in consultation with the City of Prospect to enhance Denise Norton Park/Pardipardinyilla (Park 2). The project will reinforce the role of the northern Park Lands as a recreation destination and strengthen the connection between the city and suburbs.

The development will include picnic and nature play features, an improved Fitzroy Terrace frontage to encourage people to visit and explore the park, a central promenade with connection to the Park Lands Trail, community activity hub and a high quality boulevard along Prospect Road.

The northern Park Lands will promote healthy, active communities to support the vision of the Adelaide Park Lands Strategy.

Find out more about the Planning and Development Fund.

Green infrastructure in the ranges

DPTI is a key funding partner in the development of new web-based information on Green Infrastructure on the Adelaide and Mt Lofty NRM website. This provides practitioners with practical information to assist in implementing integrated, connected and multifunctional green infrastructure in a development or project across council areas.

Progress with Adelaide car parking review

Community car parking feedback

A survey conducted on the state government ‘Your Say’ website over four weeks in January/February received 840 public responses.

DPTI also held two community focus groups on 6 March where community members shared their local car parking issues and worked together to examine potential solutions. This feedback will be considered at the Car Parking Summit scheduled for Friday 6 April 2018. The summit will be attended by representatives from key stakeholder groups. Attendees will hear from local and interstate experts specialising in the field of contemporary urban planning and transport, with a view to better understanding key car parking policy impacts, perceptions and trends across the country.

The State Planning Commission will use the findings of the summit, community feedback and further workshopping to inform the preparation of the Planning and Design Code and/or consideration of possible amendments to current Development Plans.

Items on consultation

See the Have Your Say section on the SA Planning Portal.

  • Accredited Professionals Scheme open for comments until Monday 30 April 2018.

We want to hear from you

DPTI through the Planning Ahead newsletter would love to hear from you about any stories or news they may have in the planning and development space – you are invited to submit any news which could be of interest generally to the Engagement, Education and Communication team.

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